


A bad case of feelings

by Ledgea



Category: Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Aiden is a sweetheart, Emotionally Constipated Lambert (The Witcher), Feelings, Feelings Realization, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Fluff and Smut, Gentleness, Lambert is being difficult, M/M, Meet the Family, Pining, Sex Mishaps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-06
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-18 20:00:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 30,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29249193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ledgea/pseuds/Ledgea
Summary: Aiden likes to sleep with the Wolf witchers he meets on the Path.Unfortunately Lambert proves stubborn and what could have been a one-night easy fuck turns into a two year chase.And when, finally, Aiden gets his hands on Lambert, he realizes that he caught feelings.Now he just needs to come to terms with this new development and to get Lambert to talk to him about his own feelings. This last task is easier said than done though and Aiden prays for patience.
Relationships: Aiden/Lambert (The Witcher), Minor or Background Relationship(s)
Comments: 123
Kudos: 129





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this was supposed to be a quick 5K funny one-shot about Aiden sleeping with all the Wolves and instead it grew feelings and angst... I blame Lambert for that one!!
> 
> The story will have 2 parts : first one is Aiden's POV and written ; the second will be Lambert's and I still need to write it... So don't worry if I stop updating for a while in the middle of it... I'm working on it and you got 30K to look forward to already!!
> 
> Hope you'll enjoy!

When Aiden first meets Lambert, he's the fourth Wolf witcher he comes across since he set out on the Path decades ago. He's surly, prickly, swears at everything and anything while he fights, but still saves Aiden's life when the ogre they've agreed to kill together a few minutes ago almost splatters him against a wall.

Aiden is a bit stunned by his almost death _and_ the Wolf's violent push that sent him to the floor, but thankfully out of the way of the ogre. It takes him a few seconds to get his bearings back, get up and help the Wolf corner and kill the ogre.

"Thanks," Aiden tells him when they're done and awkwardly standing over the ogre's corpse, slowly getting their breaths back, "I'm Aiden by the way."

"You're my assurance to getting paid, that's what you are," the Wolf grunts, sheathes his swords and pushes Aiden out of the cave, dragging the monster's head behind him.

"That was your cue to introduce yourself," Aiden sighs.

"You don't need to know my name."

"If you say so, oh brave Wolf," Aiden smirks and winks at the other witcher when he grimaces.

"Lambert," the Wolf growls, before heading towards Aiden's horse and tying the monster's head to it.

Aiden smiles, takes the horse's reins and they slowly set off towards the nearby town. He tries to get Lambert to talk, share a few stories or details with him to pass the time, but the Wolf stays stubbornly silent. He barely smiles when Aiden heads towards the alderman's house to get paid and he stays a few meters away as Aiden talks to the man and receives a heavy purse as payment for their work. And then Aiden has to blackmail Lambert for him to agree to accompany him to the nearby tavern.

Lambert keeps scowling even as Aiden divides the payment in two, hands him his share and pays for two plates and two ales to be brought to them. Aiden doesn't know what the Wolf's problem is, a free meal is usually enough to get him a few words at the very least, but he keeps smiling and chatting at the witcher hoping to get a reaction for all his trouble.

The Wolf keeps glaring though and Aiden falls silent after a while. He still gazes at the Wolf though and wonders if he'll manage to get him into his bed by the end of the day. Aiden has a reputation as a Wolf fucker and he desperatly wants to add Lambert to his collection, but this one might just prove to be his greatest challenge yet.

He's already fucked three Wolves. There had been Vesemir when he'd been a young and impressionnable witcher barely out of Stygga. He'd been alone and lonely and had stumbled upon the Wolf's camp one evening. There had been some tension in the beginning, but Aiden, whose stress relief method is to fuck, had asked if the Wolf had been interested and he had spent an amazing night between the old witcher's arms.

Vesemir had taught him many a thing about the pleasure of making a tryst last and the importance of listening to your partner. For a young kitten who had been used to quick, energetic and sometimes rough fucks with Gaetan or Dragonfly, the knowledge Vesemir had shared with him had been priceless and he had made sure to pass it along to his yearmates the following winter.

Next had been the White Wolf. Not that Aiden had known that he'd get to fuck the school of the Wolf's most infamous witcher when he'd climbed into the inn's room where he had known a witcher to be staying. He'd been looking for a place to lay low for the night, running away from a merchant's hired thugs after he'd stolen some money to compensate for what the man had stiffed him of.

He'd stumbled upon rumours about another witcher spending a night at an inn four towns over and Aiden had tracked him down and discreetly invaded his room. He had undressed, washed and laid down on the bed in the nude facing the door, waiting for his host to grace him with his presence.

He'd been surprised to come face to face with the White Wolf, Geralt of Rivia in person, but it hadn't deterred him in the slightest. The Wolf had been wary, which Aiden couldn't fault him for, but once he'd made sure Aiden hadn't squirreled any blades into the bed and that yes, indeed, he really was interested in a good fuck, he'd set to it with an eager single-mindedness that definitely had pleased Aiden.

They had spent a lovely and athletic night together, but when Aiden had woken up in the morning, wondering if the Wolf would let him get away with asking for another round, he'd found out that Geralt had already left. Aiden's belongings had still been there and untouched and the room had been paid for, so he hadn't found it in him to be angry at Geralt for abandoning him and had gone on his own way with a smile on his lips.

He'd shared this new exciting adventure with Gaetan and Dragonfly during the winter and has since then come to be known as the Wolf fucker – his brother always has had a weird sense of humor. When he had met Eskel two years later, he hadn't hesitated to go over, introduce himself and ask for a fuck just for the hell of it.

Eskel had been somewhat suspicious, but he had confessed that Geralt had told him about the night they had shared together, and so had agreed to let Aiden convince him to take their meeting upstairs once they were done with their pints of ale.

Eskel had been a delight. A kinky delight. The man had told him about a succubus and noble orgies and Toussainti whores, before he had proceeded to demonstrate what he had learned over his apparently fulfilling sex escapades. Aiden hadn't been disappointed and he had left the Wolf's room thoroughly fucked and very happy.

So now that he's confronted with yet another Wolf, he can't resist trying to lure him into a bed, preferably paid for by said Wolf. Unfortunately his target is unmoved by his advances, be they subtle or bold, and Lambert's mood seems to sour more and more as their meal progresses.

Aiden has never had to work this hard to get anyone into his bed and he's clearly frustrated when they finish their meal and the Wolf gets up, nods at him and heads for the tavern's door. He gets up too and decides to bluntly try his luck one last time.

“You want to fuck ?”, he asks Lambert with a cheeky grin as he leans against the table and waggles his eyebrows cockily.

“Do I look like a whore to you ?”, Lambert growls back angrily.

“No, of course not,” Aiden splutters, taken aback by the question, and says the first thing that comes to his mind to try to salvage the situation, “But I bet that you could be as entertaining as one.”

He doesn't know what possesses him to say that to an acquaintance. A prickly acquaintance at that. He would have no qualms telling Gaetan that, but his brother knows not to take him seriously and is perfectly able to give as good as he gets.

But to call a mere acquaintance a _whore_ , Aiden isn't surprised by the deeply disgusted scowl Lambert throws his way, before he strides out of the tavern. He's baffled he hasn't been stabbed, Aiden would have done it without hesitation were he in Lambert's shoes.

He winces and grimaces as the tavern's door falls close behind Lambert and he hesitates. He knows that he already made a mess of things and that the best thing to do right now would be to let the Wolf go. Sadly Aiden isn't known for his good sense and he jogs after Lambert. He's sure that he can salvage the situation with some grovelling and begging since he hasn't lost all hope to get Lambert into his bed. He has a reputation to live up to after all.

Unfortunately Lambert appears to be quite peeved with him and they end up sharing a fire in the evening as the Wolf does his best to burn a hole in Aiden's body with his eyes. The dagger Lambert ostensibly straps to his arm as he goes to sleep and the two swords he keeps nearby finish to convince Aiden that he'll need some more time to soften this Wolf. He calculates that it'll take him two weeks to make the other man cave, four if he'll prove particularly stubborn.

The plain sad truth is that it takes him two long years to get his hands on Lambert's prick. He's so astonished when the Wolf grabs him after a fight and shoves him against a tree trunk, making sure to cradle the back of his head so as not to injure him, that he doesn't even think about protesting.

The cooling corpse of the bruxa they just killed is still lying not two meters away from them, but it doesn't deter them. It takes him a few seconds to think about asking Lambert to wait to go find an inn and a big plush bed, but by that time they're already kissing and the Wolf doesn't seem inclined to release him.

He lets his thought go, because if there is one thing he's learned during these past two years, it is that Lambert will always do what Lambert wants and that arguing will only encourage him to do it faster. So he stays silent, welcomes Lambert's tongue in his mouth and relishes the enjoyable point of culmination of two years of disastrous wooing.

As Lambert's hands are busy opening his trousers' ties and are quick to find Aiden's prick, he wonders if he shouldn't take some time to ask what spurred the Wolf into action now. Because Aiden hadn't done anything new lately and Lambert had made him literally eat the flowers he'd gifted him a week ago – it had been the fourth time already, Aiden has learned to choose edible plants to gift by now – so he doesn't really understand what is happening here.

The Wolf stubbornly keeps going though, clings to his mouth and takes a hold of Aiden's right hand to place it over his own hard cock until he gets the hint. They stroke each other urgently and groan and moan together as they race towards their peaks. Aiden's orgasm takes him by surprise as Lambert sucks at his lower lip and he lets out a small breathy whine as he spills all over the Wolf's hand.

It only takes Lambert a few more seconds to peak too and the Wolf releases his mouth and slumps against Aiden's chest as soon as he's done. Usually Aiden isn't one to enjoy a lengthy cuddle with a lover, he either asks for a second round or rolls away to get some space, but right now the only thing he craves is a bed or even just a blanket for them to sprawl upon and stay close as they catch their breaths.

_Fuck_ , he thinks and knows that he's just caught – or rather has just realized that he had caught – a bad case of _feelings_. He wants to hold Lambert, wants to pet his hair and wants to have his hair petted by him. He's almost sure that he would also quite like to exchange a few sweet kisses to prolong the experience and that is as far away from _I stay with you because I want to bed you to live up to my reputation as a Wolf fucker_ as he can get. He doesn't really know what to do about that.

He's leaning his head down, ready to press a kiss against Lambert's forehead and see where that gets him – probably punched –, when the damn Wolf grunts, wipes his sticky hand on Aiden's trousers and steps away. Lambert glares at him like Aiden just offended him and he closes his eyes. Why did Lambert always insist on making things so difficult ?

“You going to fuck off now ?”, Lambert grunts at him.

“What ?”, Aiden asks, completely lost.

“You got what you wanted, didn't you ? We fucked, so you can fuck off and leave me alone now.”

“Do you want me to leave you alone ?”

Aiden doesn't know why Lambert seems to be angry now, but the Wolf huffs at him, laces his trousers and stomps away. He doesn't get an answer, knows that he won't, because Lambert is just incapable of saying what he wants on the good days, so he has no hope of being humoured today.

He'll have to go by what he wants and hope that Lambert won't take offense. And Aiden has no intention to leave now, he's gotten attached over the last two years and if the last minutes are anything to go by, he'd bet Lambert has too. Aiden just needs to make him acknowledge that fact without dying in the process.

So Aiden tucks his cock back into his trousers, straightens his clothes and wipes his hands on some leaves. He hacks off the bruxa's head and goes after Lambert, who he hopes didn't go far. The Wolf is waiting next to Aiden's horse and he turns his back to him when he reaches him, ostensibly sulking.

They go back to the town and the alderman in silence and Lambert refuses Aiden's offer of a meal and stalks out of the settlement clearly upset about something. Aiden grumbles and begs the gods for patience, before he takes his horse's reins in hands and follows Lambert. They walk in silence until sunset and Aiden helps Lambert set up their camp in a small isolated clearing.

The evening is promising to be a nice one, with a beautiful starry night over their heads and a cool refreshing breeze. There's even a small stream nearby, where they can wash themselves and get rid of the blood and dirt staining their clothes and bodies.

Once they're clean, Aiden tries to approach Lambert again. He squeezes his shoulders, brushes his hands against his back, smiles at him and makes sure that their thighs are touching once they settle down next to the fire. The only problem is that Lambert isn't interested. At all.

The Wolf elbows Aiden out of his way, snarls at him, stomps on his feet and even rudely pushes him away as he takes a seat at his side. Aiden would have liked to pursue their earlier activity, spread Lambert out on a blanket and touch him everywhere as he'd see fit, only for them to fall asleep entangled together. Judging by Lambert's mood, Aiden is almost sure that he'll end up spending the night on his own.

“What do you want from me ?”, Lambert snaps at him as Aiden once again tries to get close.

“A lot of things,” Aiden mutters, “But at this point I'd settle for you telling me what crawled up your ass and died up there !”

“Nothing !”, Lambert exclaims and gets up to pace around their fire, “Why are you still here ? You got what you wanted from me ! We fucked, end of the story, you can fucking leave.”

“For a manner of fucking, sure,” Aiden sighs.

“What ? You want to fuck me ?”, Lambert roars and comes to a stop next to Aiden to loom over him.

“Among other things, yes.”

“Oh, you want me on my knees too ? Want me to _beg_ ? Want me to be your _bitch_ for a night ? Go fuck yourself ! I'm not spreading my legs for you !”

“Lambert,” Aiden sighs, “I don't know where you got the idea that I'd like to be so uncouth with you, but I can assure you that I don't want to humiliate you.”

“You said that you wanted to fuck me,” Lambert growls and defensively crosses his arms over his chest.

“Yes,” Aiden nods, “But fucking you doesn't mean treating you like a whore or a slave. And I'd certainly like for you to fuck me too. And to get my mouth on you and then get your mouth on me. I want to kiss you, sweet and slow, and hard and passionate, and hold you while you come apart, and I want your arm around my waist at night and see how red I can make you blush in one day. I want a lot of things.”

Aiden hadn't even been aware that he wanted those things, but now that he voices them, he craves them. Lambert looks stunned at Aiden's confession and he takes several steps back, looking skittish and scared instead of angry.

Aiden doesn't understand what is happening. He thought that being honest and opening his heart might get Lambert settled into his lap for the rest of the night, but that clearly isn't the case. The Wolf lies down on the other side of the fire, straps a familiar looking dagger to his arm and keeps his swords nearby as he glares at Aiden, who can only shake his head at him.

“Good night,” Aiden whispers miserably as he lies down too, not trying to approach Lambert anymore.

Lambert doesn't answer and Aiden closes his eyes. He swears that he can feel the hole Lambert's glare is burning into his head and he has to force himself not to open his eyes again. He feels like they're back at the same point they were in two years ago, it's disheartening.

Maybe he ought to leave Lambert alone, he muses, it certainly looks like nothing good will come out of his relationship with the Wolf and he'd like to escape with his heart still somewhat intact if he can. He decides to leave in the morning if Lambert doesn't make an effort to speak about what he wants. It'll probably be better for the both of them in the long run.


	2. Chapter 2

When Aiden wakes up, Lambert is gone. He swears at the empty clearing, kicks a pebble in annoyance and is wondering what he's done to make the Wolf run away in such a hurry, when he spots Lambert's bags. So he hasn't been abandoned yet. He frowns at the bags, wonders if hiding them and using their location as blackmail to get Lambert to talk to him would be a smart thing to do, before he discards the idea. That might get him stabbed.

He'd like to stay and keep travelling at Lambert's side, but he's almost sure that it won't lead anywhere so he packs his own bags and readies his horse. He then sits down next to the fire and waits for Lambert to come back. He's not as rude as to run away without saying goodbye to his two-year long companion.

Lambert takes his sweet time to come back to camp and Aiden is close to leaving two times before he remembers his manners. He's still debating telling Gaetan about this latest encounter and wonders if his brother will stop calling him _Wolf fucker_ now, when Lambert finally appears. He's dragging a boar behind him and dumps it at Aiden's feet.

Aiden looks at the boar, then at Lambert, then at the boar again, before he catches Lambert's eyes.

“What ?”, he asks stupidly.

“Your stomach was still rumbling yesterday evening,” Lambert comments, “So I went hunting.”

“Thank you,” Aiden says and frowns at the boar, “I don't understand, I thought that you wanted me gone.”

Lambert's face turns impassive and he takes a step back. The Wolf looks around, takes in the camp, Aiden's harnessed horse and his bags piled on the mare's back.

“You're leaving,” he notes coldly.

“Well, that seemed for the best after what happened yesterday,” Aiden winces, “Fuck, you went to sleep with a dagger strapped to your arm, Lambert ! It was pretty clear you didn't want me to stick around anymore. Just wanted to say goodbye, that's all.”

“I didn't tell you to leave.”

“You didn't have to. I can take a hint. So that's it, we had fun together, at least I had and I hope you had to. Believe it or not but I'll miss you. I wish you well. Goodbye, Lambert.”

Aiden nods at the Wolf, takes a step forward to offer the man a hug, but Lambert glares and takes a step back. Aiden sighs, raises his arms to the sky and joins his horse. He takes her reins, leads her east towards the road and doesn't look back. Lambert's voice rises behind him and makes him stop just before he'd be disappearing under the trees.

“Next year in spring,” the Wolf says, “We can reunite in Hagge, at the _Pig's pen._ ”

“That establishment is a hovel,” Aiden says, his throat tight.

For the last two years he had had to forcefully pry a spring meeting point out of Lambert and it had taken him weeks to do it, but now that he's leaving, the asshole offers it freely. Aiden doesn't know what to think nor what to do. He wonders if Lambert is playing with him and if he really intends to be there or to stand him up.

“Yeah, but it's our kind of hovel,” Lambert offers with a shrug.

Aiden gazes at Lambert's still impassive face for a few seconds, before he nods. He doesn't know what is possessing him to run after Lambert, but he wants to believe that they can have more than what they had, that they can get even closer.

“I'll be there,” he says.

He nods at Lambert one last time, who nods back, and leads his horse away. He doesn't look back, forces himself to keep moving and hopes to see Lambert in spring once again. And even if he's not interested in Aiden as a lover, he'd like for them to at least stay friends. He just needs to know what Lambert wants, because the uncertainty is killing him.

The rest of Aiden's year, especially his winter, is weird. He feels Lambert's loss acutely, can't help but try to understand what had been going on in the Wolf's stupid head during that last day and wonders if he should show up in Hagge in spring or cut his losses before it's too late.

He's still undecided when he goes back to the Caravan to spend the winter months at his brothers' side. And again it doesn't go as it is supposed to. Gaetan and Dragonfly, his remaining yearmates, take one look at his frowning face and bundle him up in some furs before staying close and listening to his woes.

Their nice behaviour lasts for maybe an hour, but when Aiden bemoans Lambert's lack of communication for the third time that evening, they grumble and hand him off to Guxart. Their elder takes one look at his face, grumbles something about _pining after a Wolf being unhealthy_ and puts him to work skinning rabbits.

The next few days follow this pattern and by the end of the second week, no one wants to hear about Lambert anymore and his brothers and sisters all flee as soon as he opens his mouth. So he tries to think about other things and for the first time this winter - which is way later than usual - he tries to worm his way into Gaetan's bed.

Unfortunately his brother has brought his Viper with him this year and it apparently means that he's off the market for now. Aiden grumbles about it, hisses at the stranger in annoyance and goes to great lengths to be as obnoxious as possible. He starts to join Gaetan and Letho in the cart they've claimed as theirs to sleep once they're done fucking and usually has a glaring contest with the Viper over his brother's body before going to sleep.

And when he's not seeking out a Gaetan that becomes grumpier as winter goes on, he clings to Dragonfly. It takes another week for her to snap and agree to fuck him on the banks of a muddy river, the laundry they're supposed to take care of abandoned at their sides, and Aiden can't help but to try to cuddle her when they're done and left panting on the ground.

"Fucking hell," she grimaces as Aiden spoons behind her and hides his face in her neck, "If we had known the damn puppy would turn you into a mushy sod, we would have kept you with us instead of letting you run after him."

She then elbows him in the gut, rolls away, gets up and drags him back to his feet too, before forcing him to help her finish taking care of the laundry. He whines excessively as he washes their clothes and Dragonfly pushes him in the river when she can't bear to hear him utter another word. He probably deserves it, he muses as he gets out and proceeds to hug his sister.

When they arrive back to camp again, Guxart groans when he sees them and ushers them towards the fire. They undress, commandeer a lot of furs and thank their mentor when he grumpily offers them some hot tea. And then Dragonfly just has to tell everyone about Aiden's latest weird behaviour.

He blushes as she tells them that Lambert has turned him into a cuddler and all his brothers shake their heads at him and come pat his shoulders commiseratingly. He grunts at them, wiggles around to escape their hands and emphatically tells them that he doesn't regret having met Lambert and that he's sure that cuddling can indeed be quite nice.

Gaetan, who spends his evenings cuddling Letho, should at least be on his side, but the asshole dramatically gasps at his confession and laughs at him. The others all join in, even Guxart, and Aiden curses them. It's not his fault he got attached to Lambert, dammit ! And he refuses to feel ashamed about his new urge to cuddle his bed partners.

It doesn't really get better after that. Dragonfly refuses to sleep with him for the rest of the winter after he tries to cuddle up to her at the end of their third tryst and the others all stay away from him. He whines and pleads and begs for someone to agree to help him take care of his horniness, but they all refuse so he takes to masturbate at least twice a day. He's loud, pictures his Wolf's face and smug grin as he strokes himself or pushes fingers into his hole and moans Lambert's name as he peaks.

He feels like things are getting out of hand when his brothers' exasperated or irritated looks turn to pitying and compassionate. He keeps quiet after that or tries to, but sometimes, when he's feeling particularly lonely and remembering the feel of Lambert's lips against his own, he can't help but for the Wolf's name to escape him in a breathy exhale. When he comes back to himself, he curses and knows that he's well and truly gone on Lambert.

He doesn't know why or how he'd become so infatuated with the Wolf, can't pinpoint the exact moment he'd gone from _I want to fuck him_ to _I want to hold him close and stay at his side for months on end_ and it scares him a little. In the lights of this revelation, he wonders if he should go to Hagge in spring, if he'll be able to look at Lambert and live with his rejection or if he'll get his heart shattered. Maybe running away would be the smart idea.

The decision is taken out of his hands by Guxart though. The old Cat leads the Caravan east along the Pontar river at the end of winter and when the time comes for some of them to go on their own way, Guxart drags Aiden to his horse, takes a hold of the reins and drags him north. Aiden barely has the time to hug his brothers and sisters, before he and his elder are on the road again, heading towards Hagge and then Kaedwen.

He doesn't question Guxart's business, they all know that at least once a year the old Cat heads north into Kaedwen to do _something –_ Aiden personally thinks that it's to do _someone_ but no one believes him. Their mentor stays tight-lipped about his business, so they had taken to hug him tight and always make him promise to be careful in Wolf territory so that he'd be able to come back to them in one piece. Guxard had always come back unharmed, so they feel slightly reassured by the fact that he seems to know what he's doing. It doesn't stop them from worrying though.

The old Cat delivers Aiden to the _Pig's pen_ in Hagge, hugs him one last time and takes the time to encourage him to get things straightened out with his Wolf. Aiden nods, orders Guxart to be careful and watches him ride out of Hagge towards Kaedwen. He waits until Guxart has disappeared to turn towards the hovel Lambert has set as their meeting point and he seeks out the innkeeper to ask about another witcher's presence.

As it turns out, Lambert isn't there yet – if he's even coming in the first place – and Aiden asks for a room for two weeks. He'll give the Wolf some time to honor his promise and he vows to never seek him out again if he gets stood up. These feel like very generous terms and he settles at the inn to wait for his friend.

He gets bored very quickly waiting for Lambert and decides to explore the town's surroundings instead of wallowing in misery alone in his small room. He takes care of two contracts, digs some turnips and radishes out of not yet harvested fields and finds a farmer that sells truly tasty cheese for a reasonable price. And when he's not walking around the countryside, he roams through the town's markets, buys himself some new clothes and plays Gwent at taverns. He wins more than he loses, which is nice, and slowly gets better at cheating, a new habit he picked up during the last two years.

He's coming back from a nearby bakery, munching on a sweet bun he decided to purchase with his latest Gwent earned coins, when he spots Lambert coming his way. He stops dead in his tracks, his tasty treat held halfway to his mouth and he stares at the Wolf. Lambert soon spots him, scowls and stalks towards him. Aiden wonders if he's going to get punched - and for what - and if it wouldn't be wiser for him to run away. He can't though, too elated to see Lambert again, his heart pounding in his chest, and stays rooted in place.

He keeps staring at Lambert as he approaches, quickly notices the Wolf's healthy disposition and crams the sweet bun in his mouth, hurriedly chewing and wiping his hands on his trousers, before Lambert reaches him.

"You came," Lambert grunts at him as a greeting.

"I could say the same about you," Aiden answers.

He can't stop staring at Lambert's eyes, wants to drown in them - and isn't that _cheesy_ \- and smiles despite the Wolf's gruff greeting.

"Fucking hell," Lambert mutters.

The Wolf snatches his hand and drags him towards the nearest alley. He leads him just far enough that they won't be easily noticed by passers-by and pushes him against the wall. Aiden has a weird sense of deja-vu.

"Lambert ? What... ?"

He doesn't get to finish his question, before Lambert leans into him and kisses him. The kiss is just as hard and bruising as the last time, but it's also what Aiden has spent the whole winter thinking about, so he doesn't complain.

He lets Lambert set the pace, moans against his lips and his hand is the first to slip under clothes this time. He grins as his hold on Lambert's prick draws the Wolf to a stop and rejoices as Lambert lets go of his lips and hides his face into Aiden's neck trying to muffle his quiet whimpers.

It doesn't take long for Lambert's own hand to slip into Aiden's trousers. He squeezes Aiden's prick, roughly strokes him and promptly makes him lose his composure. He leans his head against Lambert's, pants in his hair and lets out needy little whines when the Wolf touches him just right.

They spill relatively fast, their dry hands feeling almost too rough on their sensitive skins. And just as the last time, Lambert doesn't let himself be held, wipes his hand on Aiden's trousers and steps back. To his utter mortification, Aiden lets out a small whimper and tries to cling to his arm. _Fuck, he shouldn't have allowed to let them get this far without talking first_.

Lambert furrows his brows and then narrows his eyes at Aiden like he doesn't know what to make of him or of his whimper. Aiden ducks his head, unable to hold his gaze, wipes his hand on his trousers too and straightens his clothes.

"Are you going to fuck off now ?", Lambert asks him, his voice flat.

"I'm not planning on it," Aiden mutters, slowly raises his head and with his eyes trained on Lambert's neck asks, "Are you ?"

"I want to suck your cock."

Aiden takes it to mean that Lambert is going to stay at his side a while longer, but he can't quite smile at the news.

"I've got a room at the _Pig's pen_ for four more days," he says, "We can talk there."

"Don't wanna talk," Lambert grumbles, “Wanna fuck.”

Aiden sighs and watches as Lambert heads out of the alley at a brisk pace. He doesn't know what the Wolf is thinking, doesn't know if Lambert likes him, loves him or just sees him as a convenient mean to get his dick wet. He doesn't know, but he still silently follows Lambert into the busy streets and vows to have the conversation they desperately need to have before they leave Hagge. He's not as stupid as to think that he'll manage to coax Lambert into a talk today though, but soon he promises himself, soon.

He leads Lambert to his room in silence, watches him discard his bags and weapons, before he pushes Aiden towards the bed and, with one last final shove, sends him sprawling atop the covers.

“Lambert,” Aiden swallows as he sits back up, “I really think that we ought to talk about... hum... that before... well... _before_.”

“I never talk about _that_ ,” Lambert grunts.

“But I do.”

“What is there to talk about anyway ?”, Lambert angrily asks him, “You want to fuck me. You've been wanting to fuck me since we met. I finally want to fuck you. We fuck. Nothing complicated.”

“Feelings, Lambert. We need to talk about feelings.”

Lambert freezes at the word _feelings_ and Aiden feels his hands clench and unclench where they're resting on his thighs.

“I don't talk about feelings,” Lambert snarls, “Feelings are useless.”

“That's a load of bullshit,” Aiden patiently points out.

Lambert's face turns impassive and he glares at Aiden.

“If you're trying to talk me out of blowing you, you can just say so,” Lambert hisses, “I'm no rapist. Don't want to force you.”

“How did you even... That's definitely not it,” Aiden splutters, “I do want you, I just don't know where we stand with each other and I'd like for us to clarify the situation.”

“You want to fuck me. I want to fuck you. Situation clear. Now can I get on with it or not ?”

Aiden closes his eyes and sighs. He _had_ been too optimistic about getting Lambert to talk today.

“You can,” Aiden caves in, “If you'll allow me to return the favor once you're done.”

“You better,” Lambert grunts.

Lambert's hands move from Aiden's thighs to his crotch and he fiddles with the ties keeping his trousers closed until he frees his slowly hardening prick from its confines. Aiden watches Lambert as he looks at him, licks his lips and slowly bends down to press kisses all over his cock. He swallows, hums softly and raises his hand to gently card his fingers through Lambert's hair.

“Pull my hair and I'll bite you,” Lambert threatens.

Aiden whimpers and nods, making sure to keep his touch gentle. Lambert's eyes find his as he bends forward and starts to suck on the tip of his cock, and even his angry expression doesn't make Aiden lose his enthusiasm. The only thing which would make the situation better would be for Lambert to agree to link his hand with Aiden's free one. He's sure that he won't agree to the request though, so he makes do with fisting his left hand into the covers, while the right strokes Lambert's hair.

He doesn't close his eyes, keeps staring at the Wolf, who's slowly bobbing up and down his prick and sucking him off steadily. Lambert clearly knows what he's doing – Aiden is just glad to know that he's not sucking cock for the first time and refusing to speak about it – but his carefulness and slowness betray the fact that he hasn't gotten down on someone in quite a while.

Instead of bothering Aiden – he usually prefers his partners well experienced – it only enhances the experience. He gets lost into Lambert's hard and glaring eyes, enjoys the softness of his hair under his palm, imagines what his skin would feel like under his fingers and he peaks unexpectedly with a bitten off moan.

He feels Lambert splutter around his dick, another proof that it's probably been a while since he enjoyed a man, and quietly whines as the Wolf keeps sucking on his tip until Aiden's prick is milked dry. He gently pushes Lambert away once he can't bear his touch anymore and tugs on his shirt, silently asking him to join him on the bed.

Lambert obeys – for once ! - and sprawls next to him wearing, if Aiden's not mistaken, a slightly less murderous face than usual. He might even distinguish the faintest trace of a satisfied smile at the corners of his lips. He can't help but wiggle forward, intending to kiss those plump lips, but Lambert grunts and moves his head away, Aiden's kiss landing on his cheek. He sighs and takes a hold of the Wolf's shirt instead, trying to prevent him from running away.

“Give me a few seconds and I'm all yours,” Aiden slurs.

“Fall asleep on me and I'm kicking you out of bed.”

Aiden rolls his eyes, stretches, kisses Lambert's cheek again, before he slides down to his knees on the floor. He makes quick work of the Wolf's ties, reverently gets Lambert's cock out and dives in. He relishes the treat, sucks, kisses and licks the hard prick being offered to him.

He's a bit disappointed when Lambert stays quiet and growls around his mouthful as he sees the Wolf muffling his sounds behind his hand. He tries to tug it off, to take a hold of it and cling, but Lambert stubbornly refuses to comply and Aiden does his damnedest to coax sounds out of him. He's so invested into making Lambert feel good that he hums smugly when his lover finally lets out a long moan as he peaks.

Aiden desperatly wants to make their tryst last, but it soon becomes clear that Lambert doesn't enjoy having his prick overstimulated so he eases off and crawls back onto the bed. His partner is lying down, his eyes slightly glazed over and his cheeks flushed and Aiden takes advantage of the fact that Lambert is still mostly out of it to cuddle close. He sticks his head under the Wolf's chin and goes to sleep surrounded by the scent he's been assimilitating to safety for a few months now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Next chapter probably on saturday!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy :D

When Aiden wakes up, he's curled up around a pillow and Lambert is nowhere to be seen. He immediately rouses when his hand meets cold sheets instead of a warm body and he's half dressed, struggling to put on his boots, when he spots Lambert's bags discarded next to the door. They're still in the same place as a few hours ago and he forces himself to take deep breaths.

It takes a minute for his panic to recede and Aiden undresses again and heads back to bed. He lies down on his side, with the door in his line of sight, and waits for Lambert to come back. He'd like to go after him, but the Wolf might take to being followed badly and decide to run instead of coming back, so exercising some patience is the best he can do right now.

His restraint is rewarded almost an hour later when Lambert indeed comes back. Aiden perks up when he hears someone stop in front of the room's door and lets out a relieved sigh when Lambert pushes it open and tiptoes inside. The Wolf immediately glances his way and frowns at him.

“You still haven't fucked off,” he comments, sounding puzzled.

“I already told you, I'm not planning to,” he reiterates, never mind that the room is _his_ for a few more days.

Lambert's face closes itself off at his words and Aiden sits up. He peers at Lambert and tries to decipher his expression. He doesn't manage it though and grows concerned as the Wolf keeps staring at him, unmoving but for his eyes, which are roving over his body.

He wonders what is going through Lambert's head and for the first time he's contemplating the fact that the Wolf isn't ordering him to leave with his comments, but that he maybe expects to be ditched by Aiden. He'd like ro reassure him, to tell him that he wants to stay at Lambert's side, but he doesn't know if the Wolf would believe him or if Aiden's confession would freak him out and send him running.

“If you say so,” Lambert finally says, sounding unsure, “I brought food.”

“Thanks. Join me ?”

He means for Lambert to join him with the platter of food, but the damn Wolf puts it down on the rickety table, shucks his clothes and crawls back into bed. Aiden isn't expecting for Lambert to kiss him, straddle his lap and get a hand around both of their pricks, but he's not stupid enough to complain about it either.

They spill quickly, Lambert having no patience to make things last, and Aiden sprawls on the bed completely boneless once they're done. He tries to keep Lambert close, so that he can be held, but the Wolf grunts and rolls away smoothly. Aiden sighs, makes an effort to get up too and joins Lambert at the table.

The food the Wolf brought with him clearly won't be enough to satisfy the both of them and, once again, he's left wondering if Lambert had really thought that Aiden would just abandon him without a word after their tryst. They eat the cold meat, cheese and two slices of bread in a matter of minutes, clean up superficially and go down to the common room to request two more substantial meals.

For whatever reason, Lambert refuses to let Aiden pay and he shoos him away from the bar, ordering him to grab a table. Aiden shrugs and heads to the darkest corner where he settles with a clear view of the establishment's two exits. He watches Lambert as he makes his way over, smiles and thanks him for the bowl of stew he hands him and tucks in, the thought of refusing a free meal never even crossing his mind.

Lambert is quiet as he eats, clearly pondering some things, and Aiden lets him be. The Wolf finally seems to come to an epiphany as Aiden is dipping bread into the remaining sauce in his bowl, trying to make it as clean as he possibly can. He makes an inquisitive sound around a mouthful, letting Lambert know he heard his surprised grunt, and motions for him to share his thoughts.

“Do you want me to leave ?”, Lambert asks him.

He's intently staring at Aiden, having drawn that foolish conclusion with his abysmal problem solving skills and impatiently waits for an answer, drumming his fingers on the table top. Aiden swallows, wipes his mouth on his sleeve and takes a deep breath.

“No, I don't want you to leave,” Aiden firmly says, “And before you ask, I'm not going to fuck off either.”

“Then what do you want from me ?”, the Wolf curtly demands.

“Lambert,” Aiden answers calmly, “I'm going to drop some truth bombs on you so brace yourself.”

“What ?”, he snaps, recoils and looks at the inn's door.

“If you run away, I'm going to follow you and scream these things at you outside for everyone to hear too. Your choice.”

Lambert huffs, defensively crosses his arms over his chest and wiggles uncomfortably, but he stays seated. Aiden nods, puts his hands flat on the table in front of him and looks straight ahead in Lambert's eyes. His partner doesn't even let him begin, before he interrupts him.

“If you call me a whore or easy or _fucking desperate_ ,” Lambert growls, “I'm going to punch you so hard, you'll walk away from this table without any teeth left.”

“Fuck, I don't know what I did to give you the idea that I want to humiliate you,” Aiden says and develops a new overwhelming urge to punch whoever made Lambert so jaded, “Because all I want, all I _literally_ want, is for the both of us to share a good time. So if you're sleeping with me as some sort of stupid sense of obligation, then please stop. You'll only end up hurting the both of us.”

“I'm not. I chose to sleep with you. I chose you. I just fucking don't know what you want from me !”, Lambert angrily snaps.

“I want your company in whatever capacity you're ready to offer it to me,” Aiden declares, “Nothing more, nothing less. I've been following you around for two years and I consider you to be my friend first and foremost. I only want to see you happy and spend time with you. That said I also might have developped... feelings for you.”

Lambert makes such a pained face as the word _feelings_ reaches his hears that Aiden is almost sure that he'll bolt. But the Wolf surprises him by staying seated.

“Angry feelings ? Exasperated feelings ? I want to strangle you kind of feelings ?”, Lambert asks.

“Are you being obnoxious on purpose ?”, Aiden growls, “Not to say that I don't want to strangle you at least once on a weekly basis, but I'm speaking about _nice_ feelings. A bit more than friendly feelings. Feelings that inspire me to want to stay close to you and to share your bed.”

He's almost sure that he loves Lambert by now, but dropping the much dreaded L word might be the push that would send the Wolf running for the hills, so Aiden edulcorates. He'll come clean later, when Lambert will have processed the fact that Aiden likes him.

“You wanted to fuck me long before you developed these so called feelings,” Lambert sneers.

“That is true,” Aiden concedes, “At first I wanted to fuck you because I found you attractive and I was hoping you'd be a fun bed partner. Now I want to fuck you because I like you and I want to make you feel good and to share this experience _with you_.”

“Bullshit,” Lambert says through gritted teeth.

“No. Is it so hard to believe that I like you ? That I want to stay at your side because I care for you ?”

“Nobody stays, Aiden,” Lambert angrily whispers in his face, “Not for me. And those who do only stay long enough to get what they want before discarding me like a damn obsolete commodity.”

Aiden involuntarily lets out a pained noise at Lambert's rant and tries to catch one of his hands to offer him some silent support. Lambert leans back and snatches his hands away before getting up.

“And you know what ? I really hope you're not one of those assholes ! Because you throwing me away like a worn down sock might actually be too much for me to bear. But if you're not, that means that you'll leave or be taken away anyway and I really don't see the point of getting attached then.”

Lambert turns his back on him once he's done and stalks across the sparsely populated common room towards the stairs. Aiden is just relieved he's not heading for the door and he lets him go. He's not sure Lambert realizes that he's just told Aiden a lot of things, even if he probably didn't mean to. At least now he _knows_ for sure that the Wolf grew attached to him too over the years. The thought of his prophesied disappearance wouldn't hurt Lambert so badly if he hadn't developped some feelings in return. He's not sure pointing that out will help their situation though.

He stays down in the common room for another half hour, brooding and thinking about all the people who had to have hurt Lambert so badly over the years that he's grown so jaded and pessimistic. His irrational and uncontrollable urge to stab several faceless people persists and he has to meditate lightly before he feels calm enough to join Lambert upstairs.

The door is unlocked and the room is dark when Aiden enters. He squints his eyes at the bed and holds his breath, only releasing it in a quiet relieved sigh when he spots a Lambert-shaped lump on the right side of the bed. He closes the door, undresses quietly and crawls under the covers, making sure not to crowd Lambert. He listens carefully to the Wolf's breathing and is glad to note that he's still awake.

“I'll stay. I'll stay for you,” he whispers in the dark, before closing his eyes and going to sleep, not waiting for an answer.

After the emotionally charged evening they've just shared, Aiden doesn't expect Lambert to want to be intimate with him immediately again. So he's certainly surprised when he's woken up not by the birds singing outside, but by a wandering hand on his chest.

"What ?", he mumbles weakly.

He makes an effort to open his eyes and turns his head to the left. He smiles at Lambert, hums as he takes a hold of the Wolf's hand and curls around it, ready to go back to sleep. 

"Fuck !", he exclaims a few seconds later, once he remembers what happened the previous evening, "Sorry."

He gives his hand back to Lambert and watches as the Wolf stares at it in puzzlement for a long minute. Once Lambert has dealt with what is bothering him, he blinks at his hand and turns his eyes back towards Aiden, who does his best not to squirm under his gaze.

"How long before we need to leave ?", Lambert asks him.

"Room's paid for three more days," he answers, "We can stay here a little while longer. Relax. Browse the markets. Bet our money onto some games of Gwent."

Lambert hums, but doesn't answer, and his eyes travel up and down Aiden's exposed chest before landing back on his lips. Aiden can't help but lick them, which makes Lambert's eyes widen imperceptibly. 

"I want to blow you again," Lambert says to Aiden's astonishment.

That sentence is a wonderful wake up call. He sits up against the headboard and narrows his eyes at Lambert, wondering if he really wants to do it or if he means it as some sort of weird test. 

He thinks that questioning Lambert's motives won't be useful in this case though, might even anger him again – does talking ever _not_ anger him, he wonders tiredly –, so he winks at him and slowly pushes the covers off his body. The pace he sets isn't to Lambert's taste and the Wolf growls at him, rips the covers off and pounces on him.

As it turns out, Lambert really wants to suck his cock and Aiden's early morning passes by in a haze of pleasure. And even better than an orgasm to start the day is the fact that Lambert doesn't ask him if he plans to fuck off once they're done. Their conversation has had its use then, even if it had been painful and awkward to have in the first place.

They spend their morning lazing around in bed and getting each other off as they feel like it, before heading to a tavern at midday for a hearty meal. Lambert abandons him in the afternoon, wanting to browse the market for trousers and a new pair of boots.

He announces his intention with such a powerful glare and mighty scowl, that even if Aiden had wanted to argue against it - which he doesn't - he wouldn't have risked it. He wonders if Lambert expects him to raise a fuss about his plans or if it is just another occurrence of the Wolf's bad temper making itself known. He shakes his head at Lambert's back as he leaves the tavern and gets his deck of cards out, looking for Gwent's partners.

His good mood and good luck is lasting and he trounces three people, before the gazes on his person become glares. He makes his excuses, offers his opponents an insincerely contrite smile and hurries out of the tavern before someone decides to organize a mob to chase him out of town. 

He settles in the _Pig's pen'_ s common room and sharpens his swords in the darkest corner waiting for Lambert. The Wolf joins him just as the sun sets and slams what appears to be his old pair of boots on the table in front of Aiden.

"I hate people," he snarls.

Lambert then plops down on the bench across from Aiden and glares at the innkeeper until the man gets a hint and hurries over with two pints of ale.

"Bad afternoon ?", Aiden enquires.

"More like bad people," Lambert grunts, "A cart almost ran me over and the old man driving it had the gall to yell at me and then accused me of trying to rob him."

"Did he leave the encounter with all his fingers still attached to his hands ?", Aiden asks as he discreetly gives Lambert a once over, making sure he's not injured.

"The fuck do you care about that asshole ?", Lambert angrily snaps.

"Do you mind raising your arms a little ?", Aiden demands in return and smiles as Lambert's unscathed sides are revealed, "Mmm. You're fine. Good."

"Course I'm fine, I'm not stupid enough to start a fight in a crowded market. That would be the surest way to get thrown in jail or stoned out of the damn place.”

“Glad to see you retain some sanity,” Aiden comments and then nods towards the boots on the table, “What are you planning to do with these then ?”

“Take them apart for scraps, the cobbler didn't want to keep them. The man's an asshole.”

“Is he now ?”, Aiden asks as he puts his elbows on the table so that he can rest his chin on his hands.

As expected, Lambert grasps the opportunity Aiden offers him to rant and describes in great detail everything that went wrong on his trip. Aiden listens to him with a smile playing on his lips, encourages him when he slows down and uses the Wolf's distracted state to order two plates of food and two mugs of infusion that he pays for, his pockets being full once again.

Lambert is so busy bitching at nothing and everything that he doesn't even notice the innkeeper glaring at the muddy stains the boots are leaving on the table. Aiden shrugs when confronted with the man's annoyance and makes sure to add a small tip to his payment. It placates the man well enough and he leaves them be.

Lambert wounds himself up nicely over their meal, waves his arms around and Aiden has to remind him to chew his food several times lest he ends up chocking on his meat pie. They both agree that _that_ would be a shitty way to go.

He doesn't exactly know what his goading will lead to, but he's actually looking forward to drag a restless Lambert up to his room. His smiles turn sultry as the evening progresses and he takes to gently stroke the Wolf's calves with his foot. It takes a few minutes for Lambert to notice the change in atmosphere, but once he does, he abruptly stops ranting and stares at Aiden.

“What are you trying to do ?”, Lambert asks him.

“Can't you guess ?”, Aiden cheekily answers.

Lambert rolls his eyes at him, gets up, walks away and turns back towards him at the foot of the staircase.

“You coming or do I have to carry you ?”, Lambert grunts at him.

Aiden chuckles, gives him a long once-over, makes sure to let his gaze linger a few seconds on Lambert's ass, before he gets up and joins him. They race upstairs and Aiden doesn't waste any time to press Lambert against the door once they're safely locked into the room. He kisses him and enjoys the way Lambert growls against his lips and his hands roam over his chest.

When the Wolf's hands wander over his ass and start to fondle him, Aiden lets go of Lambert's mouth and his lips travel down his throat, leaving a trail of hot kisses behind amid a number of wet gasps. He takes a hold of Lambert's hair, tugs on it to give him a better access to his throat and isn't prepared for the Wolf to resist him, bend his own head down and harshly bite him over the shoulder.

“Ow,” Aiden cries out and wiggles out of Lambert's hold, “Fuck. That hurt, you lunatic ! And not in a good way !”

"I warned you yesterday and you still pulled my hair," Lambert growls back, " _F_ _ucking's not fighting_. If I want to start a brawl with you, I'll drag you out in the street not to the bedroom."

"Oh, I thought... Nevermind what I thought," Aiden grimaces, "Sorry."

He had thought that the ban on hair pulling only applied when Lambert was on his knees. Judging from the venomous look the Wolf is sending him, he doesn't think that voicing his thought will help him salvage the situation.

Aiden sighs and heads for the bed to sit down. He's being painfully reminded that even if they've travelled together for two years now, Aiden doesn't know much about Lambert's preferences in bed and that he probably shouldn't assume things if he wants to prevent future incidents.

Lambert stays leaning against the door and keeps glaring at him. Aiden really wants to ask about Lambert's preferences, what he really likes, what he hates and maybe why. He decides to ignore the menacing look the Wolf is sending him - he's just daring him to go on really - and steels himself.

“If you're thinking about laughing at me,” Lambert growls and takes him by surprise, “I'm throwing you out of the window.”

“Why do you always expect me to act like an _asshole_ ?”, Aiden whines, “I just wanted to ask if there were other things you'd prefer I rather not do.”

“So that you can keep judging me ?”

“No, so that I can make sure I don't make you uncomfortable again.”

“Piss off, I'm not some fragile maiden you need to coddle.”

“That doesn't mean that you don't deserve care and respect !”

“I don't want your pity !”

“Oh, why do you insist on being so difficult ?”, Aiden growls, exasperated, “I just want to make sure we both have a great time, nothing more, nothing less. Just work with me here.”

“Fine. One rule then,” Lambert snarls, “Do not hurt me.”

“Of couse I don't want to hurt you,” Aiden tries to reassure him.

“Great. Wonderful. _Awesome._ Now if only you could stop being such a mood killer, everything would be perfect.”

Aiden splutters as Lambert harshly tugs his trousers off, before the Wolf stomps towards the bed, slides under the covers and lies down with his back to him. Aiden could let him go to sleep, but he doesn't feel like sharing a bed with an angry Lambert and he still wants to be held, maybe even get laid. And of course with the mood Lambert's in, neither of those things are possible.

So he wiggles under the covers too, slowly makes his way towards Lambert and gently strokes his back with his fingertips.

“What do you fucking want now ?”, Lambert asks him suspiciously.

“Fancy a make up romp ?”

“Wasn't aware we were cross with one another.”

“I'd settle for a I'm-glad-you're-here romp then,” Aiden drily comments and rolls his eyes.

Lambert slowly turns back towards him and Aiden smiles at him. He hums, leans back over the bed's edge, rummages through the nearest pack and dumps a vial of oil next to him on the bed. Lambert eyes it warily, but he doesn't flee and Aiden grins as he crawls towards the Wolf and crowds him until he's sitting up against the headboard.

Aiden then carefully straddles his lap, waits for Lambert to raise an objection and nods when none is forthcoming, before bending down and catching the Wolf's lips in a kiss. They're a bit rough and sloppy at first, until Aiden bites Lambert's lower lip and his bed partner harshly pinches his side in return.

“Sorry,” he squeaks.

He gentles the kiss down, mindful not to hurt Lambert, like the Wolf has just told him to, and knows that he'll need to think a bit more about what that means exactly. His other steady partners, Gaetan and Dragonfly, always enjoy a bit of roughhousing during their trysts, a bitten lip here, a bite there, a drag of nails on the back or an ass slapped from time to time, as long as it doesn't go from a pleasant sting to true pain. He has a feeling Lambert isn't even interested in a sting though, so he'll need to be a bit more careful than usual.

Lambert hums against his lips, apparently pleased with the new pace, settles his hands on Aiden's hips and deepens the kiss, slowly working them back to a state of simmering arousal.

Aiden waits until he's steadily grinding down on Lambert's hard prick to wiggle out of his pants. The damn Wolf doesn't bother lending him a hand and once he's taken his own small clothes off, Lambert watches him more or less gracefully lose his fight against his trousers all the while chuckling quietly.

"Sure, laugh at the poor Cat," Aiden good naturedly grumbles, glad to note that Lambert's mood is improving again, "Asshole !"

"I don't know why I ever thought of you as a smooth and nimble person," Lambert snorts.

"Because next to your bulky ass, I am the epitome of grace," Aiden grunts.

It takes him one last effort to tug his left leg free of his trousers and then he hurriedly throws his small clothes away too. He then takes his place over Lambert's lap back, attaches his lips to the wide column of the Wolf's neck, making sure not to bite this time, and hands Lambert the vial of oil.

The Wolf freezes under him and Aiden wonders if he's once again being too optimistic. He squirms in Lambert's lap and raises his head, trying to catch the Wolf's eyes, but he doesn't look down and keeps staring at the vial in what Aiden hopes is puzzlement rather than anger.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," Aiden mumbles.

"No. It's fine."

And indeed Lambert uncorks the vial and Aiden smiles as he dribbles some oil over his hand. He rubs his fingers together and stares at his hand with such a look of concentration, Aiden would almost be tempted to believe Lambert has never been with a man before, but for the fact that he hasn't batted a eye when confronted with Aiden's cock.

He closes his eyes, slowly raises his hips, rubs his prick on Lambert's stomach and waits for the Wolf to get the hint. When finally Lambert touches him, it isn't anywhere near his hole, but at the tip of his cock, and Aiden lets out a surprised squeaking noise. Lambert immediately takes his hand back and Aiden growls, takes a hold of it and brings it back towards his cock.

He then goes back to kissing Lambert's neck as the Wolf takes his time stroking him. Aiden would be mortified by the small needy little moans that unwittingly escape him, if he weren't feeling so _good_. 

Lambert hums as Aiden gasps and whimpers and shudders against him, but he doesn't seem to be in a hurry to move his lovely attention towards his backside. Instead the Wolf makes an utter mess of Aiden's crotch, oil dribbling on his balls and down his thighs, rendering them so slick, he needs Lambert to support him lest he slides off his lap.

By the interested twitches of Lambert's cock, he seems to like the new development and his free arm wounds itself around Aiden's waist, making sure he stays exactly where he is. Aiden isn't complaining either, even if he wasn't exactly expecting the evening to take such a turn. But a slick hand is so much better than the dry fingers they've been contending themselves with for the last two days that he doesn't feel like raising an objection. After all they have two more days to get to actual fucking before they need to be on the road again.

It takes Aiden kissing him again for Lambert to grab both of their pricks with his slick hand and then they're both panting together, slowly but surely getting closer to their peaks.

"A bit tighter," Aiden breathlessly asks.

Lambert not only tightens his hold on their pricks, but the one arm he has around Aiden's waist too, and they end up plastered together, chest to chest, as they spill and paint both of their stomachs white.

Aiden lets his forehead rest against Lambert's as they both slowly get their breaths back under control. He growls and clings when Lambert starts to squirm way too soon for him to be ready to let go. 

"You wipe that hand on me and I'm throwing you out of the bed," he threatens as Lambert's sticky hand dangerously creeps towards his mostly dry lower thigh.

The look of pure annoyance Lambert levels at his own hand makes Aiden chuckle and he lets go of the Wolf with a sigh, flopping down on the bed and wanting not to have to move ever again. Lambert doesn't waste time to get up and makes a beeline for the washbasin tucked in a corner of the room.

He washes his hands, soaps a rag and scrubs at his thighs, before turning back towards the bed. Aiden tiredly smiles and spreads his legs.

“Mind cleaning me up too ?”, he asks.

“Not your slave,” Lambert grumbles and throws the rag his way.

Aiden yelps when the cold rag lands on his crotch and glares at Lambert as he quickly washes himself off. They'll need to ask for a true bath to be brought up either tomorrow or the day after that, but for now it'll do. He throws the rag back once he's done and pats Lambert's spot on the bed, all the while keeping track of him, until the Wolf agrees to join him.

Aiden lets out a small delighted sound and tries to throw an arm over Lambert's waist. The Wolf elbows him in the gut until he lets go of him and Aiden has to settle for curling under his partner's arm against his side. It's better than nothing and Aiden lets out a contented sigh as he closes his eyes and rests his cheek on Lambert's chest. He doesn't get pushed away again and he goes to sleep with a smile on his lips.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you're still enjoying!  
> Next chapter will be up on saturday :D

They decide to make themselves scarce in town the next day. It's probably best if they show some discretion after the cheating Aiden did at gwent and the commotion that cart driver and Lambert caused at the market. The only bypass they allow themselves is a quick outing at midday to a nearby tavern, before they go back to their room. Lambert then sits down and takes his old boots apart while Aiden busies himself making an inventory of their potions' stock. 

Lambert is well stocked, like usual after winter, only missing one Thunderbolt, carrying three vials of the stuff instead of the four the Wolf likes to always keep at the ready. Aiden's bag in comparison is quite a bit poorer. He only has two vials of each potion, with the exception of Golden Oriole and Swallow, of which he's got three. 

He sighs as he closes his bag and makes a note to stop at an apothecary soon and go foraging on the road. And then he'll have to see if he can convince Lambert to help him brew his potions. He doesn't know how the Wolf does it, but his work always turns out better than Aiden's.

"Stop moping," Lambert grunts at him, "You still have your portable potion kit right ?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll brew your damn potions."

"I didn't ask," Aiden mumbles.

"You don't have to," Lambert says and raises his head to meet his eyes, "I've been brewing your damn potions for more than a year now and the gods know your technique is atrocious."

"It's not !", Aiden exclaims and grins as they restart their well rehearsed argument.

"You cut the ingredients all wrong."

"They don't _need_ to be made into the tiniest of pieces."

"Then you overcook your preparation."

"That's how I was told to do it !"

"And finally you insist on trying to put spinach everywhere."

"Says the man who indulges in putting lavender essence into his Kiss !"

"Because it enhances its properties," Lambert splutters.

"That's what you say," Aiden remarks smugly.

"You shit ! I never heard you complaining about the taste !"

Aiden shrugs. Lambert's right though and it's not like he'll complain about a foul potion tasting better. Otherwise the Wolf might actually take him to his word and come up with an even more disgusting version of Kiss just for him and he's not as stupid as to make a rod for his own back.

Lambert must think the argument done and won, because he falls silent and goes back to dismantling his boots. Aiden manages to keep quiet for another hour, before the boredom becomes unbearable and he starts to whine.

"It was _your_ idea that we stay inside today," Lambert reminds him.

"I know. But I'm so bored. Lambert, entertain me !"

"Fuck off, I'm busy."

"No you're not," Aiden petulantly retorts, "Now you're just mangling what is left of that boot for your own amusement."

Lambert dubiously looks down at the remnants of his boot, grimaces at it and throws it away. Aiden offers him the sweetest smile he can when the Wolf looks up to glare at him.

"What do you fucking want then ?", Lambert growls.

Aiden's smile turns into a smirk and he nods towards the bed. They've already enjoyed themselves in the morning, but Aiden can't seem to be able to keep his hands off Lambert lately and truthfully doesn't really understand why he _should_ now that he's caught him.

"You're insatiable," Lambert comments.

"Your fault, you made me wait two years," Aiden replies with a grin.

Lambert rolls his eyes at him and Aiden chuckles.

"Go ahead then, I'm watching you."

Aiden grins, gets up and hurries to get his shirt off. He's ready to break a new record for the quickest time spent undressing when Lambert tuts at him. He rolls his eyes, but dutifully slows down. He makes more of an effort to tease, caresses his chest, tweaks his nipples, and when he finally discards his trousers, he's half-hard and longs to be touched.

He lies down on the bed, makes sure to spread his legs, nods at the vial of oil innocently sitting on the crate that passes as a bedside table and waits for Lambert to join him. The Wolf doesn't make him wait and eagerly saunters over. He doesn't take the vial of oil though, doesn't even look at it, but Aiden doesn't get a chance to ask for more or complain before he's being kissed within an inch of his life.

When Lambert has had enough of kissing him, he slithers down Aiden's body until his face ends up next to his prick and he swallows him without being prompted. Aiden is not such as rude a bastard as to complain while Lambert's lovely lips are wrapped around his prick, so he decides that he'll pry about the Wolf's reluctance about anything ass related later, and lets himself be consumed by pleasure for now.

Aiden really tries to follow through his decision, but to his dismay, Lambert proves quite adept at avoiding the clearly dreaded and unwanted interrogation. It's already annoying in and of itself, but is even more infuriating when he takes into account the fact that they're confined into their room and that he still doesn't manage to pry one word from the Wolf.

Lambert spends a lot of time faking sleep, snoring way too loudly to be convincing, or kissing him. Aiden usually wouldn't grumble about the latter, but he's certain that right now the Wolf uses it mostly as a mean to shut him up rather than to enjoy him. He keeps quiet after that, not wanting for Lambert to feel pressured to initiate anything if he's not interested.

On their last day at the _Pig's pen,_ Lambert wakes up early, pokes him awake too and ushers him to breakfast way too early. He talks Aiden's ear off about wanting to go to the market again and he nods dumbly at Lambert, still half asleep.

As soon as Lambert excitedly saunters out of the inn, Aiden goes back upstairs, crawls back into bed and takes a nap. He's woken up some hours later by the Wolf's raised voice in the common room and scrambles out of the bed. He vaguely remembers promising to check out a few apothecaries today and knows that he'll get ranted at if Lambert catches him still sleeping.

He puts his boots on in a hurry, straps his swords to his back and jumps out of the window. He leaves the inn behind at a run, hoping the Wolf won't catch him fleeing the establishment, and heads for the nearest apothecary.

He finds goods of mediocre quality in the three establishments he visits and knows that if he were to buy them, Lambert would probably have an apoplectic fit, so he saves his coin. He's on his way back to the inn when he spots a small healer house. 

One last stop won't hurt him and he steps into the shop not expecting much. The business is small, but the shelves are overflowing with ingredients that don't smell moldy so he takes the time to look around. 

He doesn't find anything of use though, only plants they'll be able to harvest for free in a few weeks, and he doesn't want to waste money on that. But hidden at the top of a shelf, he finds a small collection of infusions and he knows that a hot drink in the morning or in the evening is often welcome on the Path.

He has no use for the abortive infusion, refuses to buy the one which apparently - according to the tag - can make one's hair grow quickly overnight and discards the one which boasts that it can cure the _intimate_ problems of men. He snorts and considers buying it as a joke for two seconds, before he shudders as he imagines Lambert's reaction and decides to be reasonable instead. 

He finally decides that a simple thyme infusion will do nicely and buys a small box of it. It also has the added benefit of not making him come back empty handed and looking like a fool. He heads back to the _Pig's pen_ after his purchase, quickly crosses the common room while the innkeeper glares at him and runs up the stairs. He enters their room without knocking and bears Lambert's suspicious gaze relatively well.

"What took you so long ?", Lambert asks him grumpily.

"I had to visit quite a few apothecaries," Aiden chirps, "Their wares were atrocious though, we'll need to buy what we need elsewhere or forage for it."

"What's that then ?", Lambert asks and nods towards the wooden box he's carrying.

" _That_ is a thyme infusion, it'll do your throat good when you're hoarse after shouting at anyone and everything on the bad days,” Aiden smirks.

"I don't have bad days," Lambert grumbles and crosses his arms over his chest, "The world is full of assholes."

"Sure," Aiden sarcastically agrees with the Wolf, "Why was the innkeeper giving me the stink eye then ?"

"Man's an asshole."

"That doesn't actually explain anything."

"I asked for a bath to be brought up tonight. He refused. Said that they only draw baths in the mornings and ordered me to pay for it in advance. Told him his customer service was shit. He took it badly."

"Lambert," Aiden sighs.

"Hey ! I made it all better," Lambert grumbles, "You're getting your bath tomorrow morning."

"You know what ? I'm not even going to ask about what you told him to get him to agree to draw us a bath anyway."

Lambert shrugs, grimaces and nods in such a way that finishes to convince him that he really doesn't want to know.

"I'm hungry," he says instead, "Do you mind headind out to eat ?"

"Is that your subtle way of asking me to pay for you ?", Lambert wonders.

"It wasn't, but as you're kindly offering, I won't say no," Aiden beams at him, "Take your gwent deck too, we can rob more people out of their coin if we both play."

The perspective of cheating people at Gwent seems to delight Lambert who doesn't even think about complaining about having to pay for both of their meals anymore. They head out in a good mood, treat themselves to the first correct tavern where the owner doesn't throw them out and then go lurk into seadier establishments where they joyfully trounce several drunks and gamblers.

They still need to make a quick exit in the middle of the afternoon when the interested whispering turns to angered muttering and they run out of the tavern laughing and with their pockets full of coin.

He clearly shares his euphoric state with Lambert, who's grinning as they run, and Aiden immediately draws him into a kiss once they're safely locked into their room again. They send their clothes flying and stumble towards the bed as hands grope and caress and stroke rough skin.

Aiden pushes Lambert down, hungrily watches him sit down on the bed and kneels for him without a thought. He strokes and kisses his skin, nuzzles his thighs and licks a hot path from the root to the tip of Lambert's quickly hardening prick. And then he starts all over again.

He waits until Lambert takes a hold of his hair and asks for more to wrap his lips around the Wolf's leaking cock. He plays with the tip first, sucks around it and tongues at the slit until Lambert moans. Only then does he swallow the Wolf's cock and does he do his damn best to wring the loveliest sounds he can out of Lambert.

He hums appreciatively when Lambert completely collapses on the bed and he reaches out with his left hand to tangle his fingers with the Wolf's. His other hand is gently massaging Lambert's thigh and Aiden slowly moves it up and up and up until he can roll his partner's balls between his fingers. Lambert loudly whimpers and spreads his legs wider, so Aiden moans around his mouthful and takes his hand downwards.

The gentle strokes he bestows upon the soft skin of Lambert's perineum earn him a whole body shiver. He's absolutely delighted by his partner's response and he does it again and again and again, enjoying the keen sounds he wrings out of his lover. Lambert's pleasure only enhances his own and he feels no shame humping his partner's leg in return.

He knows that they're close, Lambert's moans having devolved into sharp pants and breathless curses, so he takes his finger down again and gently strokes the Wolf's hole. The reaction is immediate, Lambert tenses, flinches and he bends his right leg up and almost kicks Aiden in the face.

Aiden takes his finger away promptly, stops his grinding and eases off Lambert's prick. He knows that he didn't hurt Lambert, didn't even enter him, just pressed against his hole to test the waters, but the full body flinch concerns him. It hadn't been a shiver of impatience or an instinctive reaction to an unknown sensation, but rather the flinch of someone expecting pain to immediately follow.

At least now he knows that Lambert has been fucked once already – he had been wondering if his partner's reluctance came from inexperience – but it clearly hasn't been a good experience. The thought had already crossed his mind, but he hadn't wanted to contemplate it. It makes so much sense though, the trust issues, the fact that he expected to be belittled and left behind after their first fuck and his refusal to touch Aiden's hole. He should have pushed him to talk harder instead of just touching him.

“Fuck,” Lambert curses over him and rests his foot on Aiden's shoulder, “I know that face. Whatever you're imagining, fucking stop it or I'm really going to kick your teeth in.”

“Lambert,” Aiden whispers and rests his forehead against his thigh, “I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have...”

“ _Shut the fuck up_ ,” Lambert snarls.

He tugs him to his feet with their still entangled hands and when Aiden looks at Lambert, he doesn't find the utterly broken, miserable and betrayed expression on his face he thought he would, but an annoyed and angry grimace.

“What ?”, Aiden asks, confused.

Lambert manhandles him until they're sitting face to face on the bed and angrily shoves his finger in Aiden's face.

“Get that pitying look off your face,” he orders him, “And _stop having_ stupid thoughts.”

They're both keenly aware of what exactly Aiden is thinking, but neither are brave enough to voice it so they keep awkwardly staring at each other. He'd really like to obey the Wolf's order, but he can't stop imagining a younger helpless Lambert being violated. He shivers and he knows that he's a few seconds away from bursting into tears.

“ _Will you fucking stop_ _?_ ”, Lambert snarls and flicks his forehead.

“I'm trying !”, Aiden cries.

“Then try harder !”

Aiden nods, closes his eyes and takes a few deep breaths. He inhales, exhales and inhales and exhales again until he's calmed down and doesn't feel like crying anymore. Through it all, Lambert keeps a hold of his hand and strokes his knuckles, Aiden can't help but squeeze his fingers.

“Keep your eyes closed and open your damn ears,” Lambert orders him, “I will not be repeating myself. And we will not be talking about it again.”

Aiden nods, screws his eyes shut and listens.

“I know what it looks like,” Lambert hurriedly says, “And it's not. I wasn't... forced. I let someone fuck me exactly once.”

“So you did fuck,” Aiden whispers, “That's good to know.”

“Was that ever in question ?”, Lambert asks drily.

“You don't seem the type to confess to inexperience,” Aiden mumbles, “And if you say that you haven't been forced...”

“I wasn't,” Lambert repeats, “We fucked once when we were young. Our first time, nobody explained to us how everything worked and we had to be discreet so we improvised. We were idiots and it didn't occur to us that we would need something to ease the way. It hurt like a fucking bitch. Never did it again.”

“Oh,” Aiden breathes out, “I... That's good to know. Sorry. Not what I meant. Don't take it the wrong way, but... Yeah. Going to shut up now.”

A bad experience in Lambert's youth is so much better to deal with than a rape. Aiden had had his own share of stupid ideas and sex mishaps in his youth, usually right alongside Gaetan – Dragonfly had been oddly level-headed when it had come to sex, but had always been there to laugh at them in the aftermath of whatever weird shit they'd done – so he can relate. He also knows that a bad experience can leave a long lasting mark, but that it can be worked through with time, care and patience.

“Yeah, you better shut up,” Lambert growls.

“Can I ask a question ?”, Aiden timidly wonders and squeaks as Lambert painfully squeezes his fingers in warning.

“I told you, I don't want to talk about it.”

“Just one,” Aiden begs, “Please. If we're to continue this thing between us, I'd like to... Well... Please.”

Lambert stays silent for a long minute, before growling to himself but granting his request.

“Thanks,” Aiden whispers and asks, “Didn't you ever try to do it again later ? Weren't you curious ?”

“The other boy, my friend, died a week later in the last Trial.”

“Fuck. Sorry,” Aiden murmurs, “Anyone else ?”

“No. Got close once,” Lambert explains tersely, “He was a merchant. I was guarding his convoy. He flirted. We ended up in bed together. Found out just in time that the only thing he wanted was for me to spread my legs so that he could brag to his friends about having pounded a witcher.”

“Crap. That sucks.”

Lambert doesn't answer and Aiden feels him shrug.

“Can I open my eyes again ?”

“Are you done with the stupid questions ?”

Aiden nods, takes a breath and opens his eyes. He comes face to face with a scowling Lambert, who hurries to take his hand back and rolls away from him. He lets out a small wounded sound and watches as Lambert wriggles under the covers and lies down with his back to Aiden. This time they clearly killed the mood and Aiden sighs, slips under the covers and curls up against Lambert's back.

“I'm sorry,” he feels obligated to repeat.

“I don't want to talk about it,” Lambert retorts.

Aiden hums and closes his eyes again, hoping to catch another nap. Emotional conversations were taxing.

“Are you going to fuck off now ?”, Lambert suddenly asks him.

“No,” Aiden answers.

“Not even if I never want for you to fuck me ?”

“Not even then,” Aiden confirms, “You're stuck with me.”

Lambert lets out a small surprised sound and Aiden feels his back relax next to him. He lets out a long breath, kisses Lambert's spine and curls into a tight ball. Sleep claims Lambert first and Aiden stays awake mulling over their conversation for a long time before exhaustion catches up to him and he falls into an uneasy slumber.


	5. Chapter 5

Aiden stops pushing Lambert about fucking after the incident. He takes what he's offered when it's offered, basks into the soft touches and easy affection Lambert slowly grows to tolerate and when the need becomes unbearable and he can't resist playing with his own ass, he does it alone and away from the Wolf.

He's aware that Lambert knows exactly what he's doing on his own, but he doesn't express an interest in the proceedings, so Aiden stays quiet on the subject too. They still fuck like rabbits otherwise, bringing themselves off with mouths and hands after breakfast, sometimes in the evenings and, when Aiden's particularly convincing, at midday. Aiden prides himself on being very convincing often.

Aiden continues to gift flowers to Lambert too and to his delight they usually don't end up shoved into his mouth by an angry Wolf anymore. That is not to say that Lambert keeps the bouquets - judging by the constipated face he makes when Aiden comes back with flowers, he's pretty sure the Wolf has no idea what to do with them in the first place -, but he's more polite about disposing of them and often throws them into their evening stew behind Aiden's back.

The arrival of winter surprises the both of them and they separate in Aedirn, Lambert going north, Aiden west. They promise themselves to reunite in Hagge in spring again, exchange one last kiss and go on their own ways. It takes Aiden a few weeks to find the Caravan and he excitedly greets his brothers and sisters when he catches up to them. To his dismay, Gaetan isn't there and Guxart informs him that he had been by in the fall and left with his Viper to go spend the winter at his and his brothers' side.

Confronted with his dejected face, Guxart can only pat his shoulder in understanding before pushing him towards Dragonfly. His sister decides to be an asshole and joyfully repeats to anyone interested, and in Aiden's range of hearing – of course ! -, that Gaetan had left because he hadn't wanted to suffer through another winter of Aiden pining after his Wolf. 

That inevitably leads Aiden to brag about said Wolf. He doesn't mean to make fun of Lambert, but he can't stay quiet either. He ends up telling them about Lambert in great detail, about his fiery temper and his embarrassment over receiving flowers and his competitive nature. He gushes about his looks and his bright red hair and his fucking strong grip that saved him from tumbling to his death a few months ago.

His brothers and sisters humor him the first two days, before they take to grunting at him in annoyance and gagging at what they call his mushiness. If Aiden weren't so far gone over Lambert, he'd be embarrassed by his overwhelming elation too, but he's so damm happy Lambert deemed him worthy of him that he can't help himself.

"Ugh, didn't think it was possible, but you gushing over your Wolf is three times more annoying than you pining after him," Dragonfly grunts at him one evening.

"Jealousy doesn't become you," Aiden retorts haughtily.

"Oh, gods, I'm not jealous, you prick," his sister groans, "Just shut up and gush in silence, will you ?"

"What's the point of that ?"

He never learns what the point of gushing in silence is because Dragonfly throws a dagger at him and he runs away cackling. He knows that deep down she's happy for him though, so he makes an effort to keep the bragging about Lambert to a minimum for the rest of the winter.

And when spring finally deigns to show its face, Aiden packs his bags, saddles his horse, hugs his annoying siblings one last time and hurries north. Guxart follows him again and spends the whole journey sighing and shaking his head at his antics. Aiden decides not to take it personally, ignores him and doesn't let his grumpy elder affect his joyous mood.

Guxart insists on walking him to the _Pig's pen_ again, despite Aiden pointing out that his name isn't Schrödinger and that he can, indeed, take care of himself. It doesn't deter Guxart, who ignores his pleas and follows him into Hagge.

To Aiden's pleasant surprise, he hears Lambert's raised voice a few streets away from the _Pig's pen_. He bounds forward completely forgetting about Guxart and surprisingly finds the Wolf ranting at a cart driver. He stops a few meters away, perfectly aware that the presence of a second witcher could make the situation take an ugly turn in a matter of seconds.

So he lets Lambert finish his argument with the man and excitedly waves at him once he's done. Lambert smiles – actually smiles ! - at him, takes a few steps forward and stops dead in his tracks as his eyes widen. When Aiden looks around, trying to spot what just spooked him, he finds Guxart standing at his side. Aiden frowns at the old Cat and motions for Lambert to join them, but the Wolf dithers and stays rooted into place.

“You omitted to tell us that you found yourself a skittish Wolf,” Guxart snorts at his side.

“ _Shut up_ ,” Aiden hisses at him, embarrassed.

He refuses to agree with Guxart, because Lambert is as far from skittish as someone can be, but inwardly he has to acknowledge that the Wolf really looks like he's ready to bolt. By the way his features contort into an unhappy grimace, Lambert probably caught Guxart's comment. Aiden is half expecting him to flee, which would be irritating because he's not in the mood to run after him when all he wants is to be able to hug him, so he's glad to see Lambert throw his shoulders back and strut towards them.

“Wolves,” Guxart sighs, “Always so dramatic.”

Aiden looks at the old Cat in surprise. It sounds like Guxart has had some first hand experience dealing with Wolves too and he'd really like to pry, but, before he can open his mouth, Lambert finally joins them and stands in front of Aiden with his brows furrowed and his arms crossed over his chest.

“Aiden,” he greets him tersely and glares at Guxart.

“Lambert,” he smiles back, squeezes his bicep and throws an arm over his shoulders.

He knows that Lambert is wary of public displays of affection, and rightfully so, but he can't completely restrain himself and opts for a friendly gesture that should placate the Wolf well enough. He feels Lambert slightly relax at his side and he grins, relieved.

“Guxart, this is Lambert. Lambert, Guxart, he's our school's elder.”

“Don't call me that,” Guxart grumbles, “Makes me feel old.”

“That's because _you're_ old,” Aiden chirps.

“Disrespectful kitten, no manners,” Guxart says, shakes his head at him and turns to Lambert, “Glad to finally be able to put a face on Aiden's Wolf.”

“Pleasure,” Lambert reluctantly offers.

Guxart snorts, clearly not being fooled by Lambert's lukewarm answer. Aiden despairs and wonders if it would be better to invite the old Cat to share a pint with them or if it would make the whole encounter even weirder than it already is. He decides to ask, not wanting to be rude or concern Guxart.

“We can go grab a pint if you've got the time,” he offers.

Aiden clearly hears Lambert's surprised gasp and tightens his hold on his shoulders as he starts to squirm uncomfortably at his side. By the way Guxart's eyes twinkle, he's fairly certain he caught Lambert's small slip too.

“No, thanks,” Guxart answers with a smile, “I've still got quite a journey ahead of me and I want to make the most use of the remaining daylight.”

Aiden nods and smiles at him in gratitude. They exchange a quick hug and Guxart hands Aiden his horse's reins before he once again faces Lambert.

“Take care of Aiden, will you ? Leave him unsupervised for too long and he'll end up in trouble,” he says as Aiden splutters in indignation at Lambert's side.

“I will,” Lambert promises seriously.

Aiden groans as Guxart smirks at him.

“I like this one,” Guxart comments and Aiden turns beet-red, “The both of you should swing by the Caravan in summer.”

“We'll think about it,” Aiden mumbles, mortified by Guxart's cheek.

The old Cat smirks one last time at Aiden, before he turns back around and heads for the closest gates leading north.

“Sorry,” Aiden whispers, feeling the need to apologize for the old Cat's behaviour.

“Don't worry,” Lambert grunts, “We can't expect senile old witchers to know the meaning of the word discretion.”

Aiden chuckles at Lambert's quip and imagines the fit Guxart would throw at being called senile, he'll have to convince Gaetan to try it. Lambert slowly relaxes at his side now that they're alone again and drags him towards the nearest tavern.

Aiden hums under his breath and relishes Lambert's hold on his hand as he leads him through several alleyways. He's so fucking glad to see him again, and to note that Lambert apparently missed him too, that he can't stop smiling. He even starts to beam like a lunatic when Lambert offers him a shy grin, a small cute quirk of the lips, and hopes that he'll get the chance to get his hands on Lambert soon. He missed his damn Wolf.

Unfortunately instead of dragging him to a room or towards an out of the way alley - Aiden's not picky - Lambert insists on leading him to a tavern and watches him eat with a contented expression on his face. Aiden huffs but complies and drags his foot up Lambert's leg under the table, appreciating the way the Wolf's pupils dilate and his scent turns aroused.

“You got a room, handsome ?”, he cheekily asks as he places his empty tankard back on the table.

Lambert rolls his eyes and sighs like he doesn't actually want the exact same thing and they hurry back to the _Pig's pen_ where the Wolf leads him towards the exact same room they had shared last year. Aiden barely has the time to close and lock the door, before Lambert crowds him and tucks his face against the side of his neck.

It isn't exactly what Aiden had in mind, but the small pleased sounds escaping the Wolf as he takes in his scent are so sweet, it doesn't even cross his mind to complain. He lets Lambert reacquaint himself with his scent and when the Wolf starts mouthing at his skin, raising goosebumps in his wake, Aiden gently takes a hold of his chin, tips his head up and kisses him.

“Missed you,” he whispers against his partner's lips.

Lambert grunts at him but his hands squeeze his hips and it's enough for Aiden to know that he was missed too. He goes back to kissing Lambert and lets himself be herded back towards the bed as their fingers hurriedly loosen their armors' buckles. He doesn't let got of the Wolf when he goes sprawling on the matress and Lambert's eyes widen as he falls down on top of Aiden.

He can't help the chuckles that escape him and rolls a grumbling Lambert over so that he can perch on his lap. Lambert sits up too, settles his hands on Aiden's ass and chases his lips. Aiden thinks that he could spend years on end kissing Lambert, enjoying his soft sighs, breathless whimpers and hungry growls, but by the way they're both moaning and grinding against each other already, he knows that they're lacking the patience to make their tryst last.

So Aiden blindly reaches down to fiddle with their trousers' ties and opens them just enough for him to be able to get their cocks out. He pushes their hard pricks together and loudly moans when Lambert tugs him closer. They pant against one another's lips as Lambert traps their cocks against their bellies and fondles Aiden's ass.

There's just enough place left for Aiden to slide a hand between their bodies and around their pricks and he strokes them in time with Lambert's rolls of his hips. His palm is a bit rough against their sensitive skin and they maybe should have taken a few seconds to fetch a vial of oil, but it's also so good they don't even think about letting each other go even for a few seconds.

Their peaks make a horrible mess of their shirts and Lambert grumbles as they undress and throw them away. Aiden insists they take their boots and the rest of their clothes off next. He's dismayed to find a new scar on Lambert's chest – _forktail_ the Wolf whispers when he asks – and he curls up at his side, one hand resting on the mark.

He manages to keep still for an hour before the need to fidget and do something becomes unbearable. Lambert sighs, pokes him until he pulls away and spreads his limbs all over the bed. Aiden clears his throat, not really knowing what to make of Lambert's new behaviour, and turns his eyes to the Wolf stretched out in front of him like a tasty offering.

He doesn't dare to touch him at first, afraid to startle him, but Lambert rolls his eyes at him, quirks an eyebrow and lasciviously grins at him. Aiden lets out a small surprised sound, takes a few more seconds to appreciate the view and then pounces on Lambert, his mouth latching on the Wolf's pulse point and his hands stroking his broad chest.

They're still too keyed up for their second tryst to last much longer than the first, but the third - oh the third ! - is utterly perfect. Aiden is the one sprawled on the bed this time, relaxing and enjoying Lambert's ministrations, intense kisses, soft nips and long strokes, and he lets the Wolf slowly but surely bring them closer to their peaks.

Aiden is spent and ready to take a small nap after their last release when he hears Lambert take a deep breath.

“I missed you too,” he mumbles in Aiden's ear.

Aiden doesn't even try to prevent his lips from turning into a broad smile. He feels Lambert's heart race under his palm, sees his face turn an enticing shade of red and lets him roll away after his confession. He knows that Lambert hates feeling embarrassed and usually turns to anger when the occasions arise, so he doesn't comment and closes his eyes. It would be such a shame to bring the Wolf's ire down on him and to spoil a perfect afternoon.

When he wakes up, Lambert is sitting cross-legged on the bed next to him and is fiddling with some sort of leather contraption, a frown marring his face. He tries to wipe it away with his fingers, but Lambert averts his head and pokes him in the ribs until he agrees to sit up too. He eyes the Wolf suspiciously as he settles against the headboard and studies Lambert. He doesn't look angry or sad though, just unsure, and Aiden patiently waits for him to gather his wits and share what is bothering him.

“I brought you something,” Lambert finally states.

He defiantly raises his head and Aiden is almost certain that he expects for his gift to be ridiculed or thrown away. On the contrary Aiden is rather excited at the prospect of a gift and he lets out a small sound of joy that seems to please Lambert.

“Really ?”, he asks and does his best not to vibrate out of his skin from excitement.

“It's not much,” Lambert warns him, “But I made it myself.”

Aiden doesn't get many gifts, a dagger or a shirt, always something utilitarian, from Gaetan or Dragonfly, or pots of ointment and new glass vials from Guxart, always stolen or bought. No one has ever _made_ something especially for Aiden though and he lets out a small breathless exclamation of pleased surprise.

“What is it ?”, he asks excitedly, “Is it food ? Oh, your lavender flavored Kiss !”

“Potions aren't gifts,” Lambert mutters, “It's just shit we exchange to make our lives easier on the Path. And it's not food. It's... here.”

He holds out two objects to Aiden who gingerly accepts them. He finds a dark brown belt with a shiny buckle first and then a sturdy harness. The leather they're made of is smooth to the touch and Aiden vows to work on something to gift Lambert in return. He knows that he doesn't have a lot of useful practical skills, but he can knit and a scarf or a pair of mittens shouldn't prove too difficult to make.

“Thank you,” he says and hopes that he manages to convey his gratefulness adequatly, “They're beautiful.”

“You're welcome,” Lambert mutters, “I tanned the skin myself. I know that they're not finely decorated, but they're sturdy and you broke your belt last year and the harness you use to keep your daggers on hand is worn out. And... Yeah. Probably impolite to point that out. Ugh. Sorry.”

Aiden fondly grins at a flustered Lambert and makes sure to catch his eye.

“Lambert, thank you,” he says slowly, “They're perfect.”

“Good, wonderful, I'm glad,” Lambert mumbles and gets up, “Now I'm hungry. Are you hungry ? Stupid question, you're always hungry. Food's downstairs. We should hurry before they serve us leftovers.”

Lambert blushes as his rambling comes to an end and hurries to the wash basin to rinse and compose himself. Aiden has a feeling that he's not used to gift giving either and maybe they can learn together. They dress in silence and Aiden makes sure to buckle his brand new belt over his hips. It fits perfectly and he beams at Lambert, who blushes but looks very proud of himself, and they head down to supper in companionable silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lambert is progressing! Yes he is :D


	6. Chapter 6

They linger in Hagge just long enough for them to trounce several people at Gwent and fatten their purses. Aiden takes the opportunity to visit the market too and he buys some soft grey wool he plans to knit into a scarf and mittens for Lambert.

The Wolf eyes the wool suspiciously when Aiden comes back and he keeps staring at him in puzzlement as he starts to work on it in the next few days, but he doesn't comment and usually settles next to him with a piece of wood he whittles into bolts for the crossbow they recently acquired together.

Aiden doesn't have much time to devote to his project due to their many occupations, many of which are much more pleasurable than knitting, but he tries to work on it at least once a week, hoping to finish the scarf and mittens before winter forces them apart once more.

So on they go, traipsing south through Ellander and heading towards Maribor. They stay close to the mountains, where apparently no witcher travelled through during the past few years, and find several interesting contracts. They can't say that they're paid well, but due to the need of the population, they're not stoned out of villages and if there's no coin to be found, they're at least offered room and board in compensation. As far as weird situations go, Aiden finds this one tolerable.

They find themselves housed in a small inn for free a few weeks later, when Aiden abandons Lambert in the common room. His partner managed to coax the alderman of the small town, the only person who looks like losing money wouldn't be such a hardship for him, into a game of Gwent and is hoping to extort some coin out of the man. Aiden's presence at Lambert's side would probably only serve to make his target nervous, so he squeezes the Wolf's shoulder, wishes him luck and heads upstairs.

He settles comfortably on the bed, a blade kept close just in case and the scarf he's knitting in his lap. His project is almost done and to his pride, it doesn't sport any holes. He had gone slow in the beginning, reacquainting himself with the feel of the needles in his hands, before gaining confidence and working faster.

He actually finishes knitting the scarf completely an hour later, spreads it out on the bed to check it over and finally deems it perfect. He ties off the loose threads at the end, carefully folds it and puts it away in one of his bags. He considers for a few seconds starting on the mittens tonight, but the sight of the vial of oil he keeps in his bags distracts him.

He wonders if he can squeeze a wank in the time it'll take Lambert to finish his game of Gwent. And once he starts thinking about it, he can't stop. He snatches the vial of oil with a grumble, throws the needles in his bag and hurries to undress, being of the opinion that the sooner he starts, the less liable Lambert is to walk in on him.

He hurries through the built-up, which isn't ideal but needs must, and ends up on his knees, with his face pressed into the bedding and two fingers deep in his ass soon enough. He finds that good spot inside of him quickly, gently strokes it, but takes his fingers back when it becomes too much too soon and teases his slit with his other hand instead.

He knows that he doesn't have much time before Lambert will inevitably come back up, but he's not in the habit to rush this thing, enjoying the way this spot makes him shiver in pleasure from the top of his ears to the bottom of his feet.

He's quietly moaning in his pillow, gently pushing his fingers back into his hole and shuddering when the door opens. He loudly swears, none too gently rips his fingers out of his ass and grabs the dagger he left on the bedside table.

“ _Fuck_ ,” he swears when he spots Lambert in the doorway, “Can't you knock ?”

Lambert shrugs, closes the door behind him and throws what appears to be a heavy purse into one of his bags.

“Couldn't you have waited just a few more minutes ?”, Aiden gripes, annoyance at being interrupted clear in his voice, “I was almost done.”

Lambert hums, sits on the desk next to the window, faces him and takes a deep breath.

“Maybe you don't need to stop on my account,” he says quietly and fixes his gaze on Aiden's collarbone.

“What ?”, Aiden asks, confused.

Lambert clears his throat, blushes and his eyes travel down his body until they find Aiden's hard prick, which the fright apparently didn't deter much.

“You could... go on. Finish what you... started,” Lambert stutters.

“Lambert. You know exactly what I do on my own and why I do it alone. One night of blue balls won't kill me. Unless you're offering to join me ?”

“That's not...,” Lambert grumbles and pinches the bridge of his nose.

“Then what ?”, Aiden asks.

“I appreciate your... concern,” he says through gritted teeth, “But I think that I'd like to watch you do it.”

“Oh,” Aiden sighs as his cock twitches, at least he knows that one part of his body is on board with this surprising turn of event, “What brought this on ?”

“Why do you _always_ insist on talking about things ?”

“Because it's better than you inadvertantly freaking out. Sorry,” Aiden winces under the force of Lambert's glare, “Listen you made it quite clear that you didn't like it and I accepted it. I just want to know what made you change your mind, make sure you're fine and not feeling obligated to do anything.”

“I'm not in the habit of doing the things I don't like to please anyone,” Lambert growls.

“I know,” Aiden sighs, “Just. Please. For my peace of mind.”

Lambert narrows his eyes at him and stays silent long enough for Aiden to contemplate getting up and washing off.

“You like it,” he finally points out.

“Obviously,” Aiden agrees, not really understanding his point yet, “And ?”

“And I know that other people like it too. I guess I just want to understand what all the fuss is about.”

Simple curiosity then, Aiden can work with that.

“Fine,” he says and grins at him, “Want to come closer ? Touch ?”

“Not really,” Lambert denies, “Just want to watch, that's all.”

“Sure. Tell me to stop if it bothers you,” he still checks with Lambert.

He waits to receive a nod in return before going back to his knees and coating his fingers in a new layer of oil. He then slowly lowers his shoulders towards the bed again and looks behind him one last time.

“Don't run away from me ?”, he asks Lambert.

“I won't,” he promises and trains his eyes on Aiden's backside.

He's almost sure that Lambert is serious so he lowers his head back on the pillow and starts by teasing his cock first. Five long strokes with a twist at the head and he's back to full hardness. His hand then falls back to the bed as his fingers push against his hole. He hears Lambert's heartbeat increase behind him and a small gasp escapes him as Aiden's fingers enter him.

He immediately aims for the good spot, gently caresses it and lets the pleasure wash over him. He steadily brings himself closer to his peak, but removes his fingers from his hole before he reaches it, shaking and moaning as he denies himself.

“You really like it,” Lambert comments.

“Yeah, yeah, I really do,” Aiden chuckles breathlessly.

“Doesn't it hurt ?”

“Not if it's done right and you and your partner are being careful.”

“Can you spill without touching your cock ?”

“Not usually. I need a bit more stimulation. But it makes my body tingle all over and it's damn nice. Now, excuse me, I got something to finish.”

If Lambert answers him, Aiden doesn't hear him. He's concentrating on the feel of his fingers against his rim. It feels like his hole is fluttering under his touch and his cock throbs as he smoothly plunges his fingers back in. He rocks back on them, wiggles around until he can comfortably curl his other hand around his leaking dick and whimpers as he peaks and feels his hole clench around his digits.

He keeps his fingers pressed against that spot until he stops spilling and gently eases them out of his hole. He breathlessly swears when one last shiver wracks his whole body and sprawls down in the wet spot, his quivering arms not strong enough to bear his weight.

“Aiden ? Are you alright ?”

“Never better,” he mumbles into the pillow.

He takes his time enjoying the bliss that inevitably comes after such an orgasm and slowly works to get his breathing back under control. He's surprised to hear Lambert approach and sit down next to him and he paws at the Wolf's arm until he puts his hand in his hair. He melts under the gentle scratching of his skull and tucks his nose into Lambert's shirt, inhaling his soothing scent.

His awareness progressively comes back and he groans as he stretches and rolls out of the wet spot. He grimaces at the state he finds himself in and longingly looks at the wash basin resting on a chair a few meters away.

“Lambert ?”, he whines, “Do you mind fetching a wet rag for me ?”

The Wolf sighs but gets up nonetheless. He wets the rag left next the wash basin, wrings it out and brings it back, all the while muttering about being exploited. Aiden sweetly smiles at him when he comes back and spreads his legs.

“Wash me ?”, he asks cheekily.

“What do you take me for ? Your body slave ?”, Lambert grunts.

Aiden is too busy yelping at the feeling of the wet cold rag being none too gently dragged over his ass to answer. He gropes Lambert's crotch in retaliation, smirks at the small gasp it garners him and starts massaging the Wolf's hard prick. Apparently someone really _did_ enjoy the show he put on.

“Careful,” he whispers, “Be nice and I might do something about your predicament.”

“You should know that I don't respond well to blackmail,” Lambert says, good humor showing through his voice, “Usually it's followed by a punch to the gut or a knee to the privates.”

“Lambert,” he whines again and lets go of his cock.

The Wolf chuckles over him, but he gentles his touch. He wipes off the oily mess that is Aiden's backside and manhandles him to get access to his front. Aiden's glad he doesn't force him to roll back into the wet spot again and watches as Lambert washes his sticky stomach and cleans his prick and balls.

“Thanks,” he whispers as Lambert discards the soiled rag.

He tugs his partner forward by his belt, works his trousers open, gets the Wolf's prick out of his leathers and sits on the bed so as to be able to comfortably take care of Lambert.

“You sure you're up to it ?”, Lambert asks him as Aiden's lips close around the tip of his prick.

He swallows around Lambert's shaft instead of answering and chuckles when the Wolf swears at him in a stutter. He hums when one of Lambert's hands takes its place back in his hair and does his best to wring the loveliest whimpers out of his lover's throat. His hands soon end up fondling Lambert's ass, but the Wolf stubbornly refuses to rock forward and he lets Aiden set the pace.

He likes Lambert's gentleness, didn't expect it in the beginning but grew to love it, and he closes his eyes as he desperatly slowly bobs up and down Lambert's cock, making sure to drag his tongue on its underside and suck at the same time. The tightening of Lambert's hand in his hair is the only warning he gets before the Wolf peaks and he swallows around his shaft and milks him dry.

He then has to get up to help a dazed and slightly swaying Lambert out of his clothes. Aiden discards the soiled cover, blows out the candles and settles Lambert under the sheets. He climbs over him to reach the other side of the bed and smiles as Lambert's hand takes a hold of his arm in passing and tugs him at his side.

He kisses the side of the Wolf's chest as he curls up under his arm and hums quietly as he basks in the contented mingling of their scents. He's almost sure that Lambert is already asleep, the Wolf liking to take a nap or to go to sleep after a good fuck, but he surprises him by clearing his throat.

“I think I'd like to try it,” he whispers in the dark, “Getting fucked. You seem to know what you're doing.”

“I'll make it good for you,” Aiden promises, “I won't hurt you.”

“You know what ? I think I believe that now.”

His tone of voice is slightly awed, like he's sharing an epiphany he just had himself. Despite the tiredness and his heavy limbs, Aiden still grins against Lambert's skin, hoping his partner is feeling his delight at being trusted. He uncurls a little, throws an arm over Lambert's waist, waits for it to be shrugged off, but the Wolf lets him be and their breathing even out together.

Aiden finds out on the following evening that when Lambert said that he wanted to try getting fucked, he meant immediately on the next day. He doesn't even wait for them to reach a new settlement, just plops down on Aiden's lap as soon as they're done setting up their camp in the forest and waves the vial of oil in his face.

He doesn't exactly seem happy about it though, his features contorted into a deep frown that does nothing for Aiden's libido. Instead he wants to wrap Lambert in as many blankets as they possess and cuddle him till the end of the night, which certainly isn't useful for what his partner has in mind. 

He doesn't quite know how to convey his thoughts without getting punched in return so he awkwardly squirms under Lambert and tries to catch his eye, while the Wolf stubbornly refuses to look at him.

"Just fucking say it if you changed your mind," Lambert growls after a few tense minutes of silence.

The vial of oil slips from his spasming fingers and he tries to get up. Aiden swears as Lambert pushes him away and grabs his hips to prevent himself from tumbling backwards to the floor. He hooks one of his feet around Lambert's right leg too, swipes his foot from under him and brings him back down into his lap.

"Will you... Ugh. Stop that," he grunts as Lambert punches him in the ribs and tries to escape his hold, "Just. Fucking. Stay. Still. I didn't change my mind."

That makes Lambert stop struggling and Aiden sighs, relieved, before he gently massages his sore ribs.

"Then why are you looking so constipated ?", Lambert growls and punctuates his question with a harsh poke to Aiden's chest.

"Because you are !", Aiden exclaims.

"I'm not !"

"You sure as hell don't look happy about it," Aiden retorts, "And believe it or not, an unwilling partner doesn't get me going."

"I'm not unwilling," Lambert mutters.

He crosses his arms over his chest and keeps looking at a tree behind Aiden's back. It doesn't reassure him.

"Say I believe you," Aiden concedes, "Then what's the damn matter ?"

"I don't want..."

"... to talk about it. Fine. Great. But I'm certainly not fucking you in that state."

"Piss off.”

He lets Lambert get up and stares at him as he sits down on the other side of the fire and starts to brood. He'd like to know what crawled up Lambert's ass and made him all snappy now. And on another note he'd really like to meet the idiot who raised Lambert to be such an emotionally stunted dumbass and give him a piece of his mind. Say what you want about the school of the Cat, but at least its members know how to talk about their feelings.

“Lambert, I know that you're used to repress your feeling like an idiot,” Aiden tiredly whispers, “But I can't support this relationship all by myself. I can't keep guessing at what will set you off next. It's damn tiring and, more importanly, _not healthy_.”

“Relationship ?”, Lambert asks, confused, and meets his eyes for the first time this evening.

“Is it not a relationship ? We've been more than less exclusive for more than a year now. Some people might very well call it a relationship.”

Lambert seems lost in thought and he wrings his hands as he stares at him, so Aiden grins and adds a quip to clear the air.

“ _And_ we're sharing the custody of a crossbow now. Prime relationship material, I tell you.”

“I've never had a relationship,” Lambert mutters almost too low for Aiden to hear, “Never wanted one as a kid and then never thought I would be allowed to seek companionship.”

“Who would forbid you to ?”

“The elder Wolves ? The mages ? Fuck, I don't know. They sure as hell made us regret more than one tryst in our youth. Told us it was distracting us, that we had to concentrate on our lessons, on getting better, on memorizing more lore. That we shouldn't get attached to boys who had a good chance to end up dead soon. Didn't think that they would be more accomodating after the last trial.”

“But most of your school's gone now ?”, Aiden softly wonders.

They don't tend to talk about their respective schools much, so Aiden doesn't know how many Wolves are left nowadays, but he can't picture a crowd big enough to forbid Lambert to seek out companionship. Lambert miserably shrugs.

“Yeah, but who would want to stick around for _me_? I'm aware that I'm a difficult prick at the best of times and nobody wants to stay around someone who insults them on a daily basis and threatens them at least once in a week and gets them thrown out of towns. I'm not worth it.”

“It may surprise you, but I'm not sticking around because I hate you.”

“You _could_ be waiting for me to spread my legs.”

“Lambert. There are far more easier means for me to get someone to spread their legs than to stick by your side. I would have bolted a long time ago if my only goal was to fuck you.”

“Then why're you still here ?”

“Because, against all the odds, I've grown to like you. Yes, you're infuriating and a whole lot of trouble, but you're also funny, you taught me how to cheat at Gwent which is useful and fun, you _always_ bring me chestnuts in the fall, you've never lied to me and you don't treat me like a basket case.”

Lambert snorts and his shoulders finally relax. Aiden smiles at him, gets up and quietly edges closer to the Wolf.

“You're nice too,” Lambert mumbles at the floor, “Patient even when I'm in a bad mood. You let me run my mouth at the stupid fucks we meet and make sure to pick blueberries for me in summer. And you're always willing to try some of my new experiments and you don't try to steal my potions to replenish your stores.”

“Don't need to,” Aiden smiles as he takes a seat next to Lambert, “You're brewing them for me anyway.”

“And I don't really understand why you stay with me,” Lambert says through gritted teeth and takes a deep breath before adding, “But I don't want you to go.”

“Not going anywhere,” he promises.

He squeezes Lambert's shoulder in support, knowing how hard it is for the Wolf to open up and grins at the sky. _He's wanted_. It's always a nice feeling to experience.

“See, you can speak about your feelings, it's not that hard and I won't laugh at you. So what has you all worked up about fucking now ?"

Lambert grumbles and wrings his hands and _blushes_ so Aiden patiently waits for him to gather his thoughts.

"It's stupid."

"Pretty sure it's not. Listen I don't mind fucking you, but I don't want to fuck things up and that means that you need to talk to me and not act as a martyr. And if you change your mind, it's fine. I have no complaints about what we've been doing."

"I haven't changed my mind," Lambert growls, frustrated, and then adds in a murmur, "It's just... intimidating."

"We have time. We don't need to do it right about now."

"Yes, we do. We need to do it now or I might chicken out !"

Aiden sighs and rubs his forehead. He's acutely aware that Lambert is vulnerable right now, but he desperatly wants to shake him and make him understand how stupid his thoughts are.

"Lambert. _Forcing_ yourself to do it is just a disaster waiting to happen. It's fine to be nervous, but then we don't rush things along, we take the time for you to grow more comfortable about whatever we plan to do."

"It might take us fucking _years_ ," Lambert grumbles.

"And ? We don't have a deadline and the both of us aren't going anywhere. We can take our time."

"Mushy sod," Lambert grunts and slowly seeks out Aiden's hand to squeeze.

“ _Your_ patient mushy sod,” Aiden replies and smiles at Lambert.


	7. Chapter 7

Contrary to Lambert's fears, it doesn't take them years to fuck. It takes them exactly a month and if Aiden had known what kind of horny monster Lambert would become, he would have begged for a few more weeks of respite.

As it is his self control is thoroughly tested in the next four weeks. Lambert doesn't bring the matter up for the next few days while they're travelling, but once they're settled into a room for the first time since they've talked, their hair still wet from a bath and with their bellies full, his eyes can't seem to look away from the bag containing their two vials of oil.

He's definitely interested but he doesn't ask for them to fuck and Aiden offers a compromise. A single finger to test the waters and check that Lambert isn't like one of the few men Aiden knows don't like to get fucked at all.

The Wolf mulls his proposition over and Aiden makes sure that he's fine and willing before stepping out of the room to offer Lambert some privacy to clean himself. When he comes back in, Lambert is spread naked on the bed and lazily playing with his cock. Aiden takes his time to look him over and he knows for sure that he will never tire of that breathtaking sight.

The impatience Lambert showed a few days prior hasn't entirely disappeared, but Aiden insists on stealing a few kisses first and making his partner relax and only then does he slick his finger.

"Ready ?", he asks a boneless Lambert as his finger traces a wet circle over his perineum.

"Mmm. Think I'm ready for anything as long as I don't have to get up," Lambert mumbles, his voice slurred.

Aiden snorts, kisses his thigh and takes a few seconds to contemplate the sight of a so high on pleasure Lambert that he's lost his usual manic energy. He vows to get him into that state of bliss more often, if only to sneak some cuddles past him.

He doesn't let his eyes linger too long on the Wolf, lest Aiden's attention makes him inadvertently tense up, and he looks down at Lambert's hole. He trails his finger down and down and down, gently presses it against the Wolf's hole and keeps watch for the barest hint of discomfort. Lambert shivers, but he spreads his legs and slightly raises his hips up so Aiden pushes in.

The first knuckle slides in easily, but he needs to stop when Lambert clamps down on his finger. He puts his free hand on the Wolf's thigh, kisses his still hard prick and does his best to comfort him.

“Do you feel any pain ?”, he whispers.

“No,” Lambert growls.

“Then relax. There's more chance of getting hurt if you're tense.”

“Easy for you to say.”

“Nothing I didn't go through first,” he says, even if _he_ had been more mortified by Guxart's explanatory talk than scared of Gaetan accidentally making it hurt back then, “Just breathe. I've got you.”

He squeezes Lambert's thigh and listens to his breathing pattern. It takes him a minute to relax and Aiden slowly pushes his finger all the way into his hole. There's no resistance, the muscle loose and the oil easing the way, and he wiggles his finger around, looking for that good spot.

“All in,” Aiden mumbles, concentrating on his task, “Does it hurt ?”

“No,” Lambert grunts and then adds, sounding a bit dismayed, “Is that all ?”

“For tonight,” Aiden replies.

“Ugh. Don't know why I was so worked up.”

“You're unbelievable,” Aiden snorts.

“Oh ! Do that again. That felt good.”

Aiden grins, having finally found Lambert's sweet spot and gently rubs at it. Lambert wiggles his ass under his hand, grunts, raises his hips and Aiden is wondering if he's uncomfortable and if he should back off, when the Wolf freezes and lets out a long drawn out moan. Aiden shakes his head at him, but keeps stroking Lambert's spot. At least they can safely say that Lambert's ass is sensitive and Aiden bets that he'll like getting fucked.

It doesn't take long for Lambert to ask for a second finger, which Aiden denies him. They agreed on one finger first and he wants to have another talk with Lambert before they take things further. He rubs at Lambert's perineum instead and watches him arch off the bed in pleasure, chocking on the loud moans he can't prevent from escaping his throat.

The barest brush of Aiden's lips on the glans of his hard leaking shaft and Lambert is coming all over his face with a chocked off scream. Aiden rubs his sweet spot through his orgasm and gently eases his finger out of a blissed out Lambert with a hum. He's painfully hard, having denied himself for now, and with three long strokes paints his partner's crotch white with his release.

He allows himself a minute to bask in their mixed contented scents and then gets up and heads for the wash basin. He cleans his face and summarily wipes his body down, before he takes care of Lambert, who's happily starfishing in the middle of the bed. He curls up at his side once he's done, draws the covers over their bodies and throws an arm over Lambert's waist.

“We're doing that again tomorrow,” Lambert mumbles, already half asleep.

“You sure ?”

“Certain. It felt really nice.”

“I bet.”

He smiles as one of Lambert's hands ends up in his hair, gently petting him and he kisses the closest skin he can reach. The hand in Aiden's hair soon turns limp and falls down on his shoulder, soft snores coming out of Lambert's mouth. He fondly shakes his head at the Wolf and closes his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips.

Lambert insists they do it again in the morning and Aiden has to put his foot down on doing it again in the evening. They're between contracts again, camping in the woods, with only their water skins as sources of water and, mindful of his partner's comfort, he decreeds that fucking should be done exclusively on a nice bed between four walls and behind a door they can lock.

He knows that it's a bit hypocritical of him. He's fucked outside enough times that he knows perfectly well what it entails, but then he's also acutely aware of all the trouble they could potentially run into.

There's no Guxart here to judge him - the memory of the face the old Cat had made when he had had to set a few of his and Gaëtan's bones after they fell from a tree will forever make him _cringe_ \- but he knows that he won't like plucking thorns out of Lambert's ass any more than he had liked doing it to Gaëtan, even with the present benefit of having no audience. 

That doesn't stop Lambert, who can't seem to stop poking at his own ass. When Aiden asks about his newfound obsession, Lambert grumbles about needing more points of comparison and kindly offers him a nice show every evening they spend outside. 

It takes a week and a half for Lambert to walk into a hurdle. They're once again camping, enjoying the breezy spring night, and when Aiden comes back from the nearby stream, Lambert is already on his knees, his ass stuck in the air and two fingers pumping in and out of his hole. 

He's panting in the grass and glares at Aiden when he huffs at him. If he hadn't seen it, he wouldn't believe that this was the same man who had been so reluctant about playing with anyone's ass a few weeks before. He picks up the discarded vial of oil and closes it, takes note that they'll need to resupply soon and then takes a seat next to Lambert.

He gets his own cock out of his trousers and lets it harden at his own rhythm, Lambert's moans and the sight of his fingers disappearing into his tight hole speeding things along nicely. With his front row seat, he sees the exact moment Lambert adds a third finger and he tenses.

They haven't gotten that far yet together, Aiden preferring to wait a few more days for comfort's sake. He's not afraid per se, because he knows that Lambert can take it if he's careful, but concerned the idiot will try to do too much too soon. The first few seconds are more than alright, with Lambert whimpering prettily and contorting himself to get to his cock with his other hand.

Aiden's own cock is hard and his hands have to clutch at his thighs to prevent him from getting himself off too soon. He likes a bit of a wait, some teasing and the pressure slowly building and the sight of Lambert is too good for him to want to rush things.

And suddenly the idiot spreads his fingers wide, far wider than what even Aiden habitually does to his own ass, and yelps in pain. He then none too gently wrenches his fingers out of his ass, yelps again and they both scramble up in a hurry.

"Are you alright ?", Aiden asks him and mentally does the count of the ointments they possess, trying to remember if one of them is suitable to treat a sore or torn ass.

"That fucking hurt," he growls and glares at his fingers in betrayal.

"You spread your fingers too much and too fast. Are you bleeding ? Do you need me to check if you've torn something ?"

Lambert scowls, trails his fingers down to his ass again and winces as he checks for tears. Aiden takes the time to put his rapidly flagging cock away and laces his trousers.

"It's fine," Lambert grunts, "Just a bit sore."

Aiden nods, opens his arms and is rather surprised when Lambert accepts the silent invitation and burrows into his chest.

"At least you discovered your limits now," Aiden says and works hard to repress his chuckles.

"Fuck my limits. It felt good and now it hurts."

"It won't hurt for long. You'll be right as rain tomorrow."

"How do you know ?"

"I was young and overeager once too, you know," Aiden finally lets himself chuckle, "I bet you that I know what all the sex mishaps you can think of look like, if not feel like."

"Spreading your fingers too much in your ass ?"

"Yep."

"Biting too hard ?"

"Got a scar to prove that one."

"Breaking something ?"

"Definitely."

"Forgoing the oil ?"

"Ugh. I didn't actually do that one. Guxart got to my cohort before we realised sex could be something more than rubbing our dicks together or stroking the girls right, but I saw the aftermath."

"How can you even like sex anymore ?", Lambert asks, appalled.

“Because it feels good. And with all the stupid shit I pulled, I know exactly what I like now. No more mishaps.”

“No need to brag about it,” Lambert grumbles and takes a step back.

"Want to finish what you started ?"

"No," Lambert grunts bluntly and haphazardly throws some clothes on, "I'm going for a wash."

Aiden nods, watches him leave in the direction of the river and spins around their camp. He's not feeling like going to bed quite yet, isn't really interested in getting off now that Lambert isn't either and is slightly fed up with Gwent. So he gets his old dice out of his bags and invites the Wolf to join him for a few games when he comes back.

It doesn't take long for Lambert to accuse him of cheating and Aiden does his best to look innocent. One of the dice is indeed loaded and he's just glad he managed to foist the cooking chore for the next four days onto Lambert, before the Wolf catches on and beats him at his own game. If his partner's smile is anything to go by, Aiden knows that their laundry will be a nightmare to take care of. He finds out during the next day that he wasn't wrong.

During the next few days Lambert is more circumspect about poking at his own ass, but goes straight back into a horny state once Aiden takes the time to show him how good three fingers can feel when you're being careful about it. And then Lambert loudly and repeatedly insists Aiden fuck him. He finds the Wolf's behavior utterly endearing, but he still offers his own ass to Lambert first, making sure he knows what to expect when they will finally get around to it. 

Lambert is a damn quick study and an attentive and determined lover. He has Aiden panting in the sheets with only two fingers in his hole and even manages to draw two loud wails with his perfect thrusts. As he'd hoped, the experience is a raging success and he knows that he won't be above begging for a repeat performance if Lambert decides to be a little shit and blows him off later on. He doesn't think that he will, Lambert had seemed to enjoy himself tremendously, but Aiden never quite knows what goes on his head.

Lambert himself falls into a contented nap over Aiden's chest once they're done and he takes it to mean that the experience was as good to him as it was to Aiden. He takes the time to stare at Lambert, to gaze fondly upon his slack face and the wild red curls he knows the Wolf will soon want to cut off. He gently scratches his head and delights into the small puffs of breath that draws out of Lambert. 

The Wolf has been more accepting of Aiden's marks of affection lately, allowing him to throw an arm over his waist at night, to hug him for no reason during the day and to walk close enough their shoulders often bump together without making a fuss about it.

Lambert himself has been initiating some of their more casual touches too. He's always a bit cautious about it, hovering or pacing for a few minutes before stepping up to Aiden and opening his arms and, on one memorable occasion, keeping a hold of his hand during one of their leisurely strolls through the forest. He's usually a bit tense about it, maybe worried he'll get rejected, and Aiden struggles to get him to relax and enjoy the simple physical contact.

So having him sprawled out, completely boneless, over his chest is a treat Aiden _savors_. He's perfectly aware of the deep trust Lambert is showing him here and knowing that this hedgehog of a man is ready to let his walls down for Aiden is a heady feeling, if a slightly overwhelming one. He brings Lambert's hand to his mouth, peppers it with kisses and keeps squeezing it as he slowly lowers their hands back to the bed.

“I love you,” he whispers into Lambert's wild curls.

Aiden holds his breath, waits for a reaction – good or bad, he doesn't _know_ – from his partner, but Lambert doesn't wake. He keeps softly snoring over his chest, his breath raising goosebumps on his sensitive skin and Aiden doesn't know if he better be relieved or not by Lambert's lack of reaction.

As he closes his eyes, he promises himself to tell him again before another year has passed. It seems like a sensible amount of time for their relationship to keep growing and maybe, hopefully, Lambert will learn to deal with his feelings in a healthy way in the meantime. Perhaps one day, Aiden will even get to hear those three words directed back at him. It would be a delight coming from that usually coarse mouth.

His short night of sleep is interrupted by Lambert. He's not really a morning person, he likes to stay abed at the very least until dawn and usually longer, so his first instincts when a warm mouth seeks his out in the darkness are to part his lips, allow Lambert a few sloppy licks and then Aiden whines, turns his head away and pushes the warm body keeping him company away, so that he can curl up under the covers again.

“Don't be an asshole, now,” Lambert's annoyed voice breaks through his sleepiness, “You owe me a good dicking.”

“Don't call it a dicking,” he slurs, “Wanna worship you.”

Lambert falls oddly silent at his back and stops pawing at his arm. If Aiden were a bit more awake, he'd be concerned about the sudden change of mood, as it is, he huffs and sticks his head under his pillow.

“You _really_ mean that,” Lambert whispers absently behind him.

Aiden hums and then sighs when the Wolf plasters himself against his back, his hard prick pressing against the swell of his ass. He sincerely hopes Lambert can control himself until breakfast, because Aiden is not moving before he has had a hot cup of tea. He's lucky today though, Lambert throws his arm over his waist and Aiden latches on the Wolf's hand hurriedly. Lambert's breathing slows down again and Aiden falls back into slumber.


	8. Chapter 8

When Aiden wakes up again, the sun is already halfway up in the sky and he swears at Lambert for letting him sleep this late. The Wolf grins, lets him use the chamberpot and wash his hands and then tugs him back into bed and pushes him against the headboard. A hot mug of tea is placed between his hands and Lambert tears apart a sweet bun filled with strawberry jam and feeds him morsels after morsels by hand.

“What are you doing ?”, Aiden asks him once the tea gets his brain working properly.

“I'm being nice,” Lambert grumbles and pushes a new morsel against his lips.

“Yes,” Aiden mumbles around his mouthful, washes it down with the tea and clarifies, “But what brought this on _now_? Why not three days past ? Or in two days ?”

“Because. You. Are. A. Sap,” Lambert grouches, “Now shut up and eat.”

It takes him a few seconds to work out what Lambert is talking about and he blushes as he remembers saying something last night about wanting to worship his partner. It's a bit embarrassing, but clearly not at all that bad if it gets him breakfast served in bed. He'll have to try to be sleepily nice more often to see if it will push Lambert into surprising him again. He might actually grow to like mornings.

Their breakfast turns into a lazy make out session, the both of them moaning and rutting together, trying not to make too much noise. When Lambert hands him the vial of oil, Aiden doesn't even think about protesting, the chain of events feeling so natural, and he soon trails a slick finger down to tease at his partner's hole.

“Come on,” Lambert groans against his lips, “Want you.”

“Gonna make it good for you,” Aiden promises.

“I know,” Lambert states so seriously Aiden has to take a deep breath to center himself.

His finger easily slips into Lambert's lose hole and the Wolf doesn't waste any time rocking back on it. Aiden knows that he hates begging, so the first finger is quickly followed by a second and he seeks out Lambert's sweet spot, grinning as his partner muffles his whimpers into his shoulder.

They're both ready for a third finger to be added when the innkeeper rudely knocks on the door and bellows at them to get the fuck out of his room. They freeze and their heads swivel towards the door. Lambert scrambles off his lap when the man's fist rattles the door again and Aiden thanks the gods the Wolf thought about locking it up when he came back from fetching their breakfast.

Lambert snarls as he puts on some trousers and a shirt and he stalks to the door. He unlocks the door, throws it open so violently the door's hinges creak and proceeds to scream into the innkeeper's face. Aiden doesn't listen to him, his brain stuck on the image of Lambert wearing his shirt. It's stupid and damn hot and unfortunately it doesn't help him get his cock under control at all.

By the time Lambert shuts the door back into the man's face, Aiden is still sitting against the headboard with a half hard cock. He knows that it would be dangerous to do something about it now, perfectly aware that they risk to get caught in the act at any given time.

They have already garnered some attention on their trip through Ellander and even if they have been discreet, Aiden is aware that they haven't been inconspicuous enough, just lucky not to cross the path of irredeemable biggots who wouldn't have been afraid to go after them despite the fact that they're witchers.

Bearing witness to their _activities_ is not the same as accidentally overhearing them and Aiden doesn't want to test the innkeeper's patience nor this village's inhabitants' openmindedness. He wills his cock down, allows himself a quick wipe down, before wincing as he steps into his too tight trousers. He manages to convince Lambert to keep his shirt on, a bit tight around the shoulders but so delicious to gaze at, and dons the Wolf's one in return.

Lambert's pupils grow wide and he tugs him into a thorough kiss in between them hurrying to put their armors on. They're out of the inn in record time and Lambert steals a cooling pie off a windowsill as Aiden leads his horse away.

“Not going to get fucked before tonight, am I ?”, Lambert sighs once they're alone on the forest path once more.

“No,” Aiden confirms, “Tonight if we find an inn with a bed.”

Lambert huffs at him and digs into the pie. He hasn't hidden his impatience and Aiden has no doubt that had they not been interrupted, he would have fucked Lambert this morning, but the Wolf deserves a bed for his first _nice_ time and Aiden will provide even if it kills him. He hopes it doesn't kill him, it would be a damn shame to die before they could both reap the benefits of their hard work.

They don't find an inn in the evening, don't even stumble upon a settlement all day and keep following the rapidly deteriorating path they're travelling on. The path soon becomes nothing more than a trail and the signs of human use get scarcer until they're entirely replaced by animal tracks.

It takes them a week to reach the next settlement and it certainly feels like the longest week of Aiden's life. Lambert is a bitchy mess at his side, they can hear Wolves howling every night and water is so rare, they have to drink out of muddy puddles on the fourth day of their journey.

The trail turns back into a path on the sixth day and they finally reach a tiny hamlet at midday on the next day. They don't cut an impressive sight with their dusty clothes, scruffy beards, greasy hair and the horrible smell clinging to their very skin, but the mayor doesn't waste any time foisting a contract onto their tired backs.

They take the time to eat and drink, before forcing themselves towards the caves south of the villages where the mayor reported trouble. They find clear signs of a chort's infestation in the caves but no monsters are to be seen. They mark their path on the way out and plan to come back well-rested on the morrow to chase the beast if it proves necessary.

They trudge back to the inn in silence, report back to the mayor and slump in their chairs while a maid slides two full plates of stew in front of them. When Aiden inquires about a bath, he's told that they're free to use the bathtubs on the ground floor, but that they would need to fill them up themselves. Lambert's loud groan of dismay echoes his own and they both decide to make do with a perfunctory wipe down for now.

At the very least the maid agrees to wash their clothes, but it doesn't stop the innkeeper from glaring at them as they tiredly head upstairs towards their room. Aiden doesn't bother apologizing for the dust they leave in their wake nor for the ripe smell that hasn't quite left their bodies, the man wants them clean, he can fill the damn tubs himself.

Once in their room, Lambert locks the door behind them and they drop their bags on the floor. Aiden grunts as he tugs his boots off, wrinkles his nose at the smell that wafts from his feet and falls face first onto the bed. Lambert manages to convince him to at least discard his trousers and shirt and Aiden grumpily wiggles out of his clothes before literally crawling under the covers and spreading his tired limbs all over the bed. 

Lambert grunts and pushes him towards the right side of the bed, before collapsing at his side. A cold hand finds its way to the small of Aiden's back and stays there as both of their breathings even out and they fall into a deep restorative sleep, not needing to keep one eye open because of the wolves for the first time in a week. It's heavenly.

They wake up at dawn completely rejuvenated and scarf down two helpings of breakfast under the scrutiny of the astonished maid. They thank her for the food and nod at the innkeeper who's looking a little less testy than yesterday. They take their time to don their armors and check their potion's kits before heading out towards the caves once again, hopefully for the last time.

It takes them the better half of the day to chase the chort down into the maze of caves and kill it. Once they're done they sit down next to the cave's entrance and wait for the potions to run their course through their bodies.

And once their skins and eyes are back to normal, they head towards the nearby river they spotted in coming up. The water is frigid, but Aiden jumps into it without a thought, vigorously scrubs his sweaty body and dunks his head to get the worst of the blood and dirt off in prevision of the bath he plans to linger in back at the inn.

By the time he's done, Lambert is still dithering on the river bank, wetting his toes every few seconds and getting them back out with a hiss. Aiden knows that there's nothing more hateful than a cold bath to the Wolf, but so much dithering is still a pathetic sight. 

He gets out of the water under Lambert's withering glare and dries off with the Wolf's shirt behind his back. He shakes his head at him as he dresses and creeps forward on bare feet when it becomes clear his partner will need help stepping into the river lest they get stuck here for several more hours.

So he magnanimously pushes Lambert forward and claps as he makes a good impression of a fledgling learning to fly on his way down to the river. He cackles as his partner emerges spluttering from the stream, his wet hair clinging to his face and his body rapidly reddening under the influence of the cold.

Aiden cackles as he steps back, not wanting to get dragged into the stream in retaliation, and ducks under the two pebbles Lambert throws at him. He hides behind a tree, mindful of new potential threats and isn't even surprised when his partner climbs out of the river not even a minute later.

“That was quick,” Aiden teases him, “Pretty sure I can still smell you.”

“Fuck off,” Lambert mutters, his teeth chattering.

He doesn't stay cold long though. He only needs to take one look at his drenched shirt and he launches himself at Aiden with a loud cry. They chase each other on the river bank, Aiden laughing and Lambert hurling insults, until the Wolf takes advantage of him wheezing for air and rips his shirt off.

He slips it on with a glare and Aiden grins as he watches his shirt stretch over his partner's shoulders. He didn't plan for his stunt to lead to that, but he can't honestly say that he's disappointed by the outcome. His good mood sours a little when Lambert presents him with his own shirt in return and Aiden grimaces as he puts it on and the wet garment clings to his skin. Lambert's shit eating grin makes matters even worse and Aiden grouches all the way back to the inn.

Half of the town is waiting for them in front of the inn when they come back and the villagers recoil from the chort's head Lambert shows them. The mayor is looking slightly green in the face as he thanks them for their assistance and offers them a room at the inn for two more nights, free of charge.

Lambert hurries to accept and Aiden watches as the villagers nod at them and scatter without a word of protest. The innkeeper welcomes them back with a tight smile and points an imperious finger towards the washing room. The man doesn't need to ask them twice and they scamper to the washing room without a word.

They fill their tubs with the well's water and then Aiden sneaks upstairs to retrieve two changes of clothes and their shaving kits. By the time he comes back, Lambert has heated both of their baths and is already lounging in his tub, a contented and slightly mocking smile playing on his lips.

Aiden flips him off, undresses and slips into the hot water, a drawn out moan escaping him. He doesn't know which Wolf came up with the idea to use igni to warm their bath water first, but he's grateful for it anyway. None of the Cats, and certainly not him, ever thought about it.

Aiden had even deemed it a weird and wasteful habit the first few times he had witnessed Lambert heating up his bath that way, but one hot bath, courtesy of the Wolf's magical fingers, during a miserable and wet autumn two years ago and Aiden has been sold on the idea since then. He had tried to learn to do it on his own, but despite Lambert's tutelage, he never can get the temperature right and always turns the water to boiling.

“Thanks,” he mumbles as he slinks down into the pleasantly warm water.

“Not sure you deserve it though,” Lambert grunts.

“Don't be a grouch. The sooner you stepped into that river, the faster we could come back. I just helped.”

“You almost killed me !”

Aiden rolls his eyes and blows bubbles into the water instead of answering the unnecessarily dramatic comment. Lambert throws a bar of soap at his head and he grins as he throws it back.

“Keep it, you skunk,” Lambert growls as he throws it back.

Aiden splutters at the insult and fails at catching the soap, which goes sailing right past his head and clatters to the floor.

“You reek just as much as me, you filthy little shit” Aiden hisses and glowers.

Next they splash themselves like excited children, the water spilling everywhere and making a mess on the floor. They have the good idea to restrain themselves before they completely empty their tubs and when Lambert throws him another bar of soap, Aiden keeps it and dutifully scrubs at his skin, getting rid of the ripe smell that followed him for a week.

Once they're done, they lounge into their tubs until the water turns luckewarm and step out at the same time. They fetch their shaving kits and fight for the use of the sole mirror of the room. Aiden wins with a quick jab to the Wolf's ribs and settles in front of the mirror with a smug little smirk. He loses it as soon as the blade kisses his throat and Lambert settles behind him, his hands running up and down his sides.

The Wolf peppers his neck with kisses, splays his hands wide over his ribs and hums as Aiden shivers and has to work hard to keep his hands and the razor steady. He can feel Lambert's grin against his skin, his hot tongue drawing shapes onto his shoulder blade and his hardening prick nudging his ass. He waits until he's done shaving, his skin smooth to the touch, to grind his ass back on Lambert's hard cock and smiles as the Wolf's breathing quickens and his hands tighten on his hips.

He doesn't plan for them to fuck in the wash room though and uses Lambert's distracted state to spin him around and make him face the mirror. His hands are trembling as Aiden gives him the razor and he waits for him to compose himself and lather his face with shaving cream, before rubbing his dick against Lambert's ass. He grins at Lambert's sharp intake of breath and slowly ruts against him.

“Aiden,” the Wolf whines and grinds back.

Aiden grips his hips and steadies him, forcing him to stay still.

“You started it,” he whispers and licks the shell of his hear, “You don't get to whine about it now.”

“Aiden.”

“Shaving then eating then fucking,” he promises him.

He sucks on the shell of Lambert's ear, gently ruts against the Wolf and enjoys the shivers that run through his partner's body. He slows down when it becomes clear Lambert won't be able to shave in that state and quietly encourages him to calm down.

His partner shaves slowly, carefully, mindful of his skin and Aiden watches with rapt attention the razor gliding on Lambert's skin. It's one of the longest shave Aiden ever witnessed, but Lambert doesn't cut himself and vigorously grinds his ass back against him once his face is smooth and clean.

It takes Aiden a considerable effort to pull away and not to mindlessly rut between Lambert's cheeks until he paints his crack and ass white. Lambert doesn't seem to appreciate his restraint and he whines and tries to take a hold of him as he steps away. Aiden refuses him though and they slowly get their breathing and heart rates under control, before tucking their still hard pricks into clean trousers.

It's uncomfortable and arousing at the same time, especially as he can _see_ Lambert's buldge straining his trousers and smell his excitement. He doesn't relent though, knowing the wait will only make their fucking all the more sweeter this evening, and pushes Lambert out of the washing room towards the main hall of the inn. He asks him to grab a table as he disappears upstairs to dump their belongings on a heap on the floor and dashes back down the stairs again, already longing for Lambert's presence at his side.


	9. Chapter 9

When Aiden comes back down from their room, he finds Lambert sitting in the darkest corner of the common room. The Wolf is fidgeting on his seat and glaring at all the other patrons. Nobody pays attention to him though and Aiden hurries over. He shivers as Lambert spots him, rakes his eyes over his body and focuses on the still visible buldge in his trousers.

The Wolf then licks his lips and rocks forward in his seat. Aiden's pupils widen and his nose flares as he joins him and catches the scent of Lambert's arousal. He sits in front of him, smiles at his partner and they entangle their legs together under the table.

“Master witchers,” the maid interrupts their gazing at each other, “Would you prefer an ale or wine with your meals ? Courtesy of the mayor, of course.”

She slides two plates in front of them, venison, potatoes and carrots sprinkled with parsley, and Aiden's mouth waters. Lambert asks for two ales and they tuck in. The Wolf finishes his meal in a minute straight and then glares at Aiden, willing him to eat faster. Aiden smiles, slowly chews small bites of the juicy meat and asks his partner if he'd prefer to keep going south or head west when they'll leave in two days.

He knows that Lambert likes to cut the chase short, to take what he wants when he wants it, but Aiden likes to build his arousal up slowly, to savor the need that makes him shiver and _want_ and unfortunately for his partner, he's in a playful mood tonight.

After their meal, he asks for two slices of pie and eats his desperatly slowly, making sure to suck on his spoon and keep eye contact with Lambert. He hums as the Wolf strokes his foot up and down his lower leg and grins when his lack of reaction makes his partner growl and huff and get up.

“If you're not up in ten minutes,” Lambert hisses through clenched teeth, “I'm jerking off on your pillow and then going to sleep.”

He rudely rattles the table as he stalks away and doesn't even look back as he heads for the stairs. Aiden looks on fondly at his tense back, his clenching hands and his lovely ass and crams the last two bites of pie in his mouth. He doesn't plan to test the limits of Lambert's patience and inadvertantly ruin the evening, that would be fucking stupid of him.

He waits five more minutes just because he can, before he gets up and heads for the stairs. The innkeeper holds him back a few seconds to tell him that _his angry companion better not destroy anything_ and Aiden nods and tries not to laugh in the man's face. Breaking things is probably the last thing on Lambert's mind right now.

He takes the steps two at a time, takes a deep breath and knocks on the door to their room. Lambert yanks it open immediately, grabs his shirt and forcefully drags him inside, his features contorted into a lovely snarl. Aiden's dick twitches in his trousers and he invades Lambert's personal space to kiss his upturned lips.

The kiss they share is one of their most passionate. Aiden doesn't know why an annoyed Lambert arouses him so, but he definitely likes this new level of intensity it reveals in the Wolf. He's perfectly aware that Lambert could potentially badly snap at him if he's not in the right mood, but Aiden is content to keep pushing his luck for now. He has never professed to be completely sane.

Lambert locks the door behind them and steers them towards the bed. He gives Aiden a little push to get him to sit down and kneels at his side, yanking his boot off and throwing them behind him without a care in the world. His socks and trousers disappear just as quickly and he runs his foot up the back Lambert's leg as the Wolf gets up, bends down and tears Aiden's shirt off.

“So impatient,” Aiden tuts.

He drags his foot forward as Lambert straightens up and pushes it against his crotch. He grins at Lambert's sharp intake of breath and gently massages his prick over his leathers. It fills out nicely and puts a strain on his trouser's ties. Lambert closes his eyes and leans into the touch, a small moan escaping him.

“Not that I don't enjoy what we're doing, but you might like to undress too,” Aiden whispers, breaking the silence.

Lambert steps back and Aiden puts his foot back down. He crawls to the middle of the bed and sits there, waiting for Lambert to join him. He takes a quick look around, spotting the vial of oil on the bedside table and the pile of smelly sheets discarded in a heap in a corner of the room. Apparently Lambert put those five minutes Aiden took to join him to good use.

When his eyes swivel back to the Wolf, he's fighting with his shirt. Aiden chuckles as one of his arms gets stuck and laughs when he hears a seam rip.

“Shut up,” Lambert grouches.

“Not saying anything,” Aiden chuckles.

The ripped shirt gets sent at Aiden's head and he drops it to the floor. He gazes upon Lambert as the Wolf climbs into bed and crawls towards him. He's still glaring and his deliberate and purposeful movements make Aiden shiver. He feels like prey, knows Lambert will hunt him until he gives him exactly what he wants and shudders in pleasure as he once again realizes that he's well and truly _wanted_. He can't get enough of this heady feeling.

When Lambert finally reaches him, he presses his mouth to his lower abdomen and licks a hot trail up. Aiden's hands grip his hips as the Wolf kisses the right side of his neck and sucks at his skin, his teeth barely grazing him. When Lambert releases his skin, he tips the Wolf's head up and claims his lips into a bruising kiss.

Lambert sits on his lap, their cocks rub together and they both moan. The weigth of Lambert over his thighs as he writhes in pleasure and the press of his lips against his own are heavenly, so Aiden is a bit peeved when Lambert tears his mouth away and contorts himself to reach the bedside table. He tightens his hold on the Wolf's hips, mindful not to turn his grip bruising, and tries to get him to sit still.

“Can't you stay put for once ?”, he groans, “Just this one time ?”

“Stop whining,” Lambert retorts, but thankfully settles back in his lap, and waves the vial of oil in front of his face, “And fuck me.”

“So _sweet_ ,” Aiden sarcastically remarks.

“I was sweet a week ago,” Lambert grumbles, “And you _cruelly_ left me hanging. So you better deliver tonight.”

“Dramatic as always,” he comments and kisses Lambert's collarbone, “Don't worry. I'll take care of you.”

“Good. Mind getting it on ?”

“One day, Lambert,” he vows, “One day, I'll show you the true value of patience.”

He won't do it tonight though, Lambert might well smother him with a pillow if he asks him to wait one minute longer. But the idea of Lambert panting, writhing on some sheets, eyes glazed with overwhelming pleasure and his cock steadily leaking as Aiden gently fingers his hole for hours is something he'll need to convince him to try at least once.

For now he uncorks the vial Lambert hands him, coats his fingers in oil and trails them down towards his partner's hole. Lambert helpfully raises his ass and balances his weigth on his knees, his hands holding tight on Aiden's shoulders and preventing him from falling forward.

Lambert takes the first two fingers beautifully, his hole fluttering and clenching around Aiden's digits. He finds his sweet spot quickly and strokes it over and over again until the Wolf's thighs are quivering and he's muffling his moans in Aiden's shoulder. He slips the third finger in easily and Lambert doesn't even seem to notice it.

“Don't touch your cock,” Aiden reminds him as one of Lambert's hands almost closes over his hard prick.

“Aiden,” Lambert whines.

The Wolf puts his hand back on Aiden's shoulder and rocks back on the fingers burried in his ass. Aiden takes mercy on him and leaves his sweet spot alone, concentrating on spreading the oil around instead. He knows that if he keeps going, Lambert won't be able to resist and will take his cock in hand, peaking long before Aiden can fuck him.

And where Aiden quite likes powering through an orgasm directly into a second round, Lambert likes to take a nap after his peak. Aiden can already imagine his whining if he doesn't get fucked tonight, so he does the sensible thing and compromises.

His fingers come and go in Lambert's ass, eliciting the sweetest gasps from the Wolf each and every time they catch on his rim, but he avoids his sweet spot for now. Lambert's moans subside, but his dick keeps leaking all over their stomachs and he dutifully rocks back against Aiden's fingers, ignoring the way his thighs shake while his hole is being carefully stretched.

“Think you're ready,” Aiden comments.

His three fingers effortlessly slide into Lambert's hole now and even when he uses his pinky to stretch the Wolf's rim, the muscle flutters and opens easily for him. Lambert grunts into his neck, hurriedly grinds down and Aiden tips his head back and plunders his sweet mouth.

“By the gods, you're perfect.”

“Shut up,” Lambert pants against his lips.

Aiden chuckles, strokes Lambert's sweet spot one more time and avidly watches as his back arches in pleasure. He takes his fingers out, slicks his cock and tugs Lambert more firmly against his chest.

“Raise your hips a little,” he encourages him, “Good. Now slowly rock back and sit on my cock at your own rhythm.”

Lambert does as he's told, raises his hips, takes a deep breath and carefully lowers himself onto Aiden's cock. He goes slow, maddeningly so, and whimpers against Aiden's neck, his tongue often licking over his adam apple. Aiden is a needy mess too, restraining himself so as not to roll his hips and moaning around the shell of Lambert's ear he's been sucking on since the Wolf started to take him.

He whimpers when Lambert has to stop halfway through and lets his head fall forward and his forehead rest on the Wolf's shoulder. He takes a deep breath, releases it and listens to his partner. He's panting heavily as he slowly rocks above him, but his cock is flagging.

“Does it hurt ?”, Aiden asks, concerned.

“No,” Lambert hisses, “It's...”

“Don't go mute on me now.”

“I just need some time to get used to it.”

Aiden hums, he knows that taking a cock is nothing like taking fingers and it's perfectly understandable for Lambert to take his time to get used to the new sensations. He rests his left hand on Lambert's hip and gently strokes his skin, as the fingers of his right hand play with the Wolf's cockhead and coax him back to full hardness.

Lambert keeps rocking on top of him, his body rising higher to get more friction on his cock and then lowering itself a bit more on Aiden's prick with each new bounce. Aiden bites his tongue to keep praises from slipping out of his mouth, perfectly aware Lambert finds those words demeaning and not endearing like intended.

His left hand travels down to Lambert's ass and squeezes his cheek as he steadily works himself down on Aiden's cock. He moans against Lambert's neck as the Wolf experimentally clenches his hole and feels a dribble of pre-spend wet his fingers as Lambert finally takes his whole cock and sits on his thighs.

“ _Ohh_ ,” Lambert moans, as he slightly rises up and lowers himself again.

“Found the good angle ?”, Aiden mumbles against his skin.

“The best,” Lambert whispers.

He keeps rocking shallowly over him, moaning as Aiden's cock drags over his sweet spot and his cock twitches with each new drag. Aiden takes his fingers off his cockhead, afraid to push him over the edge too soon, and massages Lambert's ass instead. The way Lambert's hole clenches when he drags himself up makes Aiden shiver and whimper in pleasure and he raises his head, seeking the Wolf's mouth.

Lambert meets him halfway and they mash their lips together in a sloppy kiss. With one hand on Lambert's ass and the other clutching the back of the Wolf's neck, Aiden lets himself fall on the bed. A small surprised sound escapes Lambert, but the Wolf gets pulled along nicely and ends up sprawled over Aiden's chest, his weaping cock trapped between their bellies.

“Shh, let me make you feel good,” Aiden murmurs against Lambert's lips.

Lambert doesn't protest, so Aiden starts to kiss him again and slowly rolls his hips. Lambert is utterly boneless over him and just clings to his shoulders as Aiden shallowly thrusts up into his hole. He doesn't have a lot of leverage, but the angle seems to suit Lambert just fine. His partner soon can't keep the kiss up and just presses his open mouth against Aiden's and allows him to swallow his moans.

He keeps thrusting up until Lambert arches his back and tries to get a hand around his cock. They're tightly pressed together though and his hand can't slip between their bodies and uselessly paws at their sides.

“Aiden,” he whines against his lips.

“Can you wait a little bit longer ?”, he asks breathlessly.

“Aiden !” Lambert urgently exclaims instead of answering.

He takes it to mean that he can't. Lambert has never been very vocal in bed, moans and whimpers and the occasional curse, so hearing him say Aiden's name in that insistent tone of voice makes him shudder and moan in turn. He securely wraps his arms around Lambert and rolls them around.

Lambert's legs immediately lock under the swell of his ass and keep him close. Aiden pants, whimpers as Lambert's hole clenches around his prick and his hands fail to catch him. He falls on Lambert and crushes him under his weigth, but the Wolf doesn't even seem to notice. He keeps wriggling and clenching and panting and it takes a few seconds for Aiden to lift himself off Lambert.

He rests his weigth on his elbows and knees and Lambert takes the opportunity to take his cock in hand. The Wolf's tight hole clenches again and Aiden groans. He thought that he would have more leeway to fuck Lambert in this position, but the Wolf's legs are locked tight under his ass and prevent him from gaining momentum and thrusting harder. The feeling of Lambert's hot and hard body flush against his makes up for his partner restraining him though.

He keeps his thrusts shallow, unable to escape the unbreakable hold Lambert has on him and rolls his hips faster. The Wolf's whole body is trembling, his back arching and his hand ruthlessly working on his cock and brushing Aiden's stomach.

“Aiden !”, Lambert exclaims as a powerful shiver wracks through his body.

Aiden grins smugly at the desperate call of his name. His hand finds Lambert's free one and squeezes as he leans over the Wolf and catches his lips in a bruising kiss. Aiden rolls his hips harder, fucks him _deeper_ and wantonly moans his name. He feels Lambert clench around him, his legs squeezing him harder and trapping him against the Wolf, unable to pull back, their lips mashed together as he shouts his peak.

Wetness spreads between their stomachs and Aiden squeezes his hand as Lambert slowly comes back to himself. His legs unlock and spread on the bed first. His sticky hand gets wiped on the bed and his head limply rolls to the side. Aiden strokes a cheek and watches Lambert's eyes close. His heart skips a beat.

He's slightly afraid Lambert is falling asleep already, but the Wolf starts to squirm soon enough and Aiden gently pulls out of him. He straightens up, sits back on his haunches and gazes at Lambert's fluttering hole, his semen slowly trickling out of it. He'd like to press his fingers to that hole, push his semen back in and finger Lambert until he'd be ready to welcome him inside of him again, but he's almost certain his partner wouldn't appreciate his intention.

Maybe he'd let him lick him clean instead. He shudders as he imagines putting his mouth to that hole and to suck and pepper his tender skin with kisses. Definitely an idea they'll need to revisit together later. Lambert mumbles something unintelligible under his breath as he opens his eyes again and he extends a hand towards him.

Aiden takes it and crawls over to him. Lambert pointedly looks at Aiden's hard and twitching prick, but even as his attention is cute, he doesn't seem to be ready to help him with his predicament. Aiden soothes him and brings his hand to his mouth to kiss his knuckles. He'd like to rut between his thighs, but he's not even sure Lambert could hold his weigth up right now, so he settles over his right thigh.

“Mind if I ride your thigh ?”

Lambert waves at him to go ahead and Aiden squeezes his partner's thigh between his legs and rolls his hips. His cock leaves a wet trail all over Lambert's upper thigh and he grinds his ass back into his partner's hard muscle. He places his hands flat on the bed to support him and curses as he's unable to get to his cock. Weak and tentative fingers trail down his chest, his stomach and wrap around his cockhead.

Lambert's loose hold on his prick makes him whimper. His fingers are teasing his glans and his slit and Aiden welcomes those delicate touches, perfectly aware that they're so soft because Lambert can't do more right now. A lesser man would ask for a firmer hold, a tighter squeeze, but Lambert's feather light caressses and limp form and dazed features, all because Aiden has been _so good_ to him, are more than enough to make him peak.

“Lambert !”, he urgently whispers as a gentle finger rubs at his slit.

His legs clamp around Lambert's thighs and he falls over the Wolf's body as he ruts and rides out his orgasm. He shivers and his hands clench and unclench in the sheets as he makes a mess of Lambert's thigh. The Wolf doesn't complain, lets him rest his head over his heart and cards a hand through his hair. Aiden doesn't even care if it's the semen covered one. It has taken them a while to reach this perfect point, but it was all definitely worth it.

It takes them a few minutes to get their breathings back under control and when Aiden tries to get up to fetch a rag to clean them both up, Lambert's hand takes a hold of his bicep and tugs him back against him. They settle on their sides, facing each other, their foreheads almost touching and their fingers intertwined between them.

“You're going to rant at me tomorrow morning if you don't let me clean you up,” Aiden prophetizes in a tired chuckle.

“I'll worry about it tomorrow,” Lambert mumbles.

Aiden smiles, shuffles forward to kiss the tip of Lambert's nose and closes his eyes.

“Aiden ?”

“What ?”

“Are you going to fuck off now ?”, Lambert asks him in a whisper.

“Not a chance,” he murmurs back and squeezes his hand, “You're stuck with me now.”

He fully expects Lambert to fall asleep after that, so he's startled by the Wolf uttering his name once again.

“Aiden ?”

“Lambert ?”

“I really really like you.”

Aiden's heart skips a beat. He opens his eyes and widely smiles at the Wolf gazing at him. It's not the L word, not yet, but they're getting closer to it and Aiden can't wait for Lambert to untangle the jumbled mess of his feelings.

“I really really like you too.”

Lambert smiles at him too, a small tired but pleased grin, and Aiden melts. He closes his eyes again and feels Lambert squeeze his hand. _It's so good._

“Aiden ?”, Lambert asks again.

He hums, keeps his eyes closed and can't help but picture Lambert's grin all over again.

“Will you come with me to Kaer Morhen this winter ?”

Aiden's heart skips another beat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last Aiden chapter!  
> So I'll have to leave you guys here for a little, while I finish writing the Lambert's chapters!   
> I'm already halfway through and I know where I'm going, so it probably won't take me too long!
> 
> Thanks to all of you for your kudos and comments and I'll see you soon :D

**Author's Note:**

> If you're interested in a very cracky, mostly dialogue fic inspired by this one about our dear Wolves learning how to do _emotions_ , check out the link :D   
> Me and BetaRay_Bill had some funny ideas in the comments and turned it into something of a fic!

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [How to feel: a beginners' class by Letho of Gulet](https://archiveofourown.org/works/29337885) by [BetaRay_Bill](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetaRay_Bill/pseuds/BetaRay_Bill), [Ledgea](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ledgea/pseuds/Ledgea)




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